Unexpected Exposure
by soapmaniac22
Summary: Caroline Forbes sets out to expose her rival journalist, the arrogant Klaus Mikaelson. Eventually, she finds more than just family secrets. What she ends up uncovering is something more than she ever expected.
1. So This is Life

***peeks around corner nervously***

 **Hey guys! Welcome to my first, AU multi-chapter Klaroline story! I'm super nervous about posting, just because I haven't really written a lot of multi-chapter stories for this fandom, let alone AU ones, so i really hope you guys like it :) I actually based this story off a script I wrote in college for a screenwriting class.**

 **I have a few chapters written in advance so I'm hoping to update this hopefully once a week, maybe every two weeks if I'm on vacation or something :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but the concept and storyline is completely my own.**

 **Credit to Erika for the GORGEOUS cover! And the lovely Gail for beta-ing this for me :)**

* * *

Caroline Forbes peered down at her spiral-bound journal as she jotted down notes from her latest interview with the head of the Peaceful Protestors of Chicago organization. As head opinion writer for the Chicago Herald, it was her duty to interview them at least every other month to get the exclusive scoop on their latest protest.

This month's protest? Better toilet paper for shopping mall bathrooms.

She could _hardly_ wait.

Sighing at her notes, Caroline threw her pen down and rubbed her face in exhaustion. She had spent all evening yesterday stuck downtown Chicago waiting for her boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood, to come get her from her office. He had ended up texting her that the deposition with his current client took longer than he expected and _would you mind taking a cab home?_

He was lucky he was pretty.

She'd been with Tyler for about five years now, and she was happy.

Most of the time.

To be honest, she was kind of tired of waiting for him to ask her to marry him. He kept dangling that in front of her every few months, but there was always some excuse. Too busy for a wedding, his job was too shaky to depend on (his dad freaking owned his firm), and that they had all the time in the world to get married.

But, Caroline loved him and he loved her, and that was good enough.

For now.

"Yo, Care, ready for lunch?"

In walked Katherine Pierce, the Herald's star photographer and general reporter, and Caroline's best friend. Her chestnut curls bounced with every step as she walked into Caroline's office. Katherine's bold personality was a great fusion with Caroline's bright optimism. Katherine was laid back in her work, whereas Caroline was meticulously controlling in every detail. While Caroline dressed in cute dress and suit combinations, Katherine dressed in tight pants and five-inch stilettos on a daily basis. Caroline was sweet and light; Katherine was bold and sassy.

In the end, they were best friends for life.

"How do you wear those every single day?" Caroline nodded towards Katherine's black heels, and she shrugged in response.

"They make my ass look amazing."

"You know one day your feet will fall off," Caroline remarked, shutting her journal and reaching for her purse.

Katherine rolled her eyes and reached for Caroline's journal. "Nobody ever comments on my feet like they do my ass."

"Modest as always," Caroline said wryly, digging through her purse for her phone.

"So what's going on in the world of protests this month?" Katherine asked, flipping casually through Caroline's journal. "Stuffed animal crisis? Not enough swimming pools in the park?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and checked her phone for messages.

"Shit!"

Caroline's head snapped up to look at Katherine.

"What's wrong?"

Katherine was grimacing at her journal, a look of disgust on her face.

"You are literally writing about shit and wiping people's asses."

Caroline sighed and put her phone back into her purse.

"Can we go before my dignity about my job is completely ruined?"

She motioned towards the door and Katherine shut her journal with a groan.

"You seriously need to get better things to write about," Katherine remarked, strutting out of Caroline's office.

"Tell me about it," Caroline muttered following after her.

* * *

Caroline and Katherine were giggling as they walked back into the newspaper's office after lunch before they were stopped by Anna, their boss' assistant. Jenna Sommers was the editor of the Chicago Herald, and quite possibly the most neurotic, yet powerful woman that Caroline had ever met, and that was including herself.

"Jenna needs to see you in her office," Anna announced, giving Caroline a tight smile. Anna was nice most of the time, but Jenna had a tendency to get cranky with her when she had a bad day.

It sounded like today was one of those days.

Caroline's eyes widened and she met Katherine's disinterested look. Caroline side-stepped Anna, pulling Katherine by the arm as they made their way to Jenna's office. Wringing her hands nervously, she stopped outside Jenna's office door finding herself unable to walk in.

"You aren't seriously scared of Jenna are you?" Katherine laughed. "She's harmless."

Caroline glared at her. "Says the woman who isn't scared of anything."

"It pays to be fearless," Katherine shrugged and Caroline pressed her lips together, raising a nervous hand to knock. She hesitated before Katherine grabbed her fist and banged it clumsily against the door for her. Caroline shot Katherine a glare and she smiled back innocently. They heard shuffling of papers before hearing Jenna's muffled greeting to come inside.

Katherine motioned for Caroline to open the door and rolled her eyes as the blonde once again hesitated. Katherine thrust open the door and strode into the office haughtily, Caroline following at a much reluctant, and less confident pace.

Jenna was sitting in the middle of her huge office, her desk scattered with papers and her strawberry blonde hair mussed from running her fingers through it. She looked up to call a hello to Caroline before narrowing her eyes at Katherine's appearance.

"I don't recall asking you to come in here," Jenna mused, raising an eyebrow towards her. Katherine shrugged before unceremoniously dropping into a chair in front of her desk.

"I'm bored. My article is done and my photos have all been developed," she smirked, winking at Jenna. Caroline sighed before sitting down next to Katherine.

"You wanted to see me Jenna?" Caroline asked, twisting her fingers nervously. Jenna moved her gaze to Caroline, her face settling into a more professional expression.

"Ah, yes. Caroline," she began, picking up a paper, handing it to her.

Caroline took the paper from her, narrowing her eyes in confusion. " _The Chicago Tribune_? Why do you have one of these?"

"Look at the headline."

Caroline studied the paper, he heart dropping when she saw the headline.

"Shit," she muttered, staring at the byline. Her eyes returned to Jenna, who was staring at her with a menacing scowl. Her lips were pursed in annoyance, her eyebrows were raised to the middle of her forehead, and her eyes looked furious.

If Caroline didn't know better, she would have thought there was actual fire blazing in them.

"You want to tell me how Klaus _fucking_ Mikaelson yet again attended the same press conference as you did and _yet again_ , scored the top interview with the _Mayor of Chicago_? And how I got a phone call from the PR people saying that you were a no show?"

She grimaced in response. Caroline was the opinion writer, but she did other pieces to work her way up the chain. The press conference was two days ago and somehow her press pass for the event mysteriously disappeared from her purse that afternoon after a run in with Klaus at the coffee shop across the street. She straightened her back and glared at Jenna with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Klaus totally stole my ticket to the conference!"

Well, that sounded super immature.

Ah, Klaus Mikaelson.

The biggest jerk she'd ever met and the bane of her existence.

They met a couple years ago at a previous press conference for the Mayor of Chicago. She made it a habit to get to know all the reporters from the various Chicago papers just in case they ever needed to borrow notes or something. Caroline went up to him, introduced herself, and Klaus had scoffed, rolled his eyes and then asked if her boss knew that his secretary was missing. Then, he proceeded to ask her out. She promptly "accidentally" spilled his hot tea down the front of his pants and a relationship of full hate (mostly on her end since he was a shameless flirt) was born.

He was the most annoying, egotistical, smirky, complete dickwad that she had ever met. Yet, he never left her alone when they ran across each other at press events, consistently dropping coquettish lines and annoyingly trying to sweet talk her. Clearly, she wasn't interested but that didn't seem to affect him.

"I was going to get that interview, Jenna., I swear," Caroline tried to explained. "That smarmy jackass swooped in and took it away from me."

"How could he if you never showed up?" Jenna asked pointedly. Katherine leaned back in her chair, watching the conversation fly between the two women with interest.

Caroline opened her mouth to explain, but Jenna raised her hand in front of her to cut her off.

"It doesn't matter anymore. As far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't have missed it and let him get to you again."

"But I-"

"Forget it," Jenna cut in, shutting her up with a cold look. "Here, there's a press conference going on downtown about the new transit system. I would send Katherine but she can't seem to stop hitting on the new commissioner-"

"Hey!" Katherine cut in, gesturing at her body. "It's not my fault he wants a piece of this."

Caroline clenched her lips together to keep from giggling at her incredulous look.

"So, I need you to go cover it," Jenna continued, not sparing Katherine a second glance.

Caroline nodded her head determinedly, taking the piece of paper with the address from Jenna's outstretched hand.

"I want the article on my desk by 5:00pm _tonight_ ," Jenna ordered, turning around to focus on her computer. Caroline sucked in a low breath at the quick deadline before shoving the address in her purse.

"I won't let you down this time," Caroline promised. Jenna waved her hand distractedly at her, dismissing her and Katherine from the room.

Katherine moved out of the chair giving Jenna a dirty look and made a rude gesture with her hand towards Jenna's back. Caroline's eyes nearly popped out of her head and she yanked Katherine out of the office.

"Geez, Care, retract the talons," Katherine remarked, tugging her arm out of her tight grip.

Caroline sighed before stalking into her office across the hall, dropping into her chair with a groan.

"I hate Klaus," she growled, narrowing her eyes at the byline in the paper she was still holding.

"He's a dick," Katherine agreed. "From afar, he has the charisma of George Clooney. But when you get to see who he really is, it's like talking to Charlie Sheen."

"That's scarily accurate," Caroline sighed, before moving to get up.

"He _so_ wants in your pants," Katherine smirked, winking at her. She scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Never in a thousand years."

"I think you should at least give him one drunken roll in the hay," Katherine said flippantly, causing Caroline to roll her eyes.

Here they go again.

Katherine was convinced that all of the constant back and forth between Caroline and Klaus would result in some mind-blowing sexual affair someday down the road. After denying it every single time, she had gotten used to all the hints Katherine kept dropping so she stopped taking her comments seriously after the first fifty.

"I have a boyfriend, in case you forgot," Caroline tiredly reminded her, shooting her a look. "Of five years."

Katherine raised her eyebrow and shrugged innocently. "You aren't married. Plus, you and Klaus are like a ball of sexual tension just waiting to combust. Never say never."

Caroline scoffed before gathering up her journal to leave. "Can I go now, Justin Bieber?"

"Don't forget your press pass this time," Katherine called after her, pointing at the lanyard hanging on the wall. She rolled her eyes and grabbed it.

"Notice that I had it before leaving the other day for the press conference and it's been missing since then," Caroline gestured, showing Katherine the badge. "What a coincidence that Klaus' article came out today and my press pass is mysteriously back in my office."

Katherine smirked slyly. "Maybe he's been snooping in here, trying to get closer to you."

"What a creep," Caroline muttered.

"A sexy creep," Katherine responded, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "You leaving?"

"Yeah. I'm just going to go straight there. Can't take any chances of running into Mr. Smarmy and my pass going missing again," she said, wrinkling her nose in annoyance.

Katherine shrugged before standing up to walk out of the office, calling over her shoulder. "Make sure it's just your press pass he steals. Not your panties!"

Caroline threw her pen at her in response, Katherine chuckling all the way.

* * *

Caroline strode into the building where the press conference was being held. The room was filled with several noisy journalists and cameras, waiting for the event to begin. She headed over to an empty table to unload her purse, taking out multiple pens, her notebook, and a recorder. While she was checking to make sure that her recorder was fully charged, she noticed a familiar person in the corner of her eye.

 _Shit._

Klaus Mikaelson was standing, talking quietly to another journalist. He had his usual smug smirk plastered across his face. Dressed in fitted black pants, he was wearing a white button down with the collar open, the usual plethora of necklaces around his neck. His sandy blonde hair was perfectly mussed, and his chin was covered in his signature stubble.

If he wasn't such an ass, Caroline would probably be _slightly_ attracted to him.

His eyes caught hers and the smirk on his face widened. She immediately tore her gaze away and peeked back to see Klaus heading towards her. Her eyes bugged out and she immediately started to repack her stuff as fast as she could to get away. Grabbing her bag, Caroline whirled around and immediately smacked into a hard chest.

The same hard chest belonging to one Klaus Mikaelson.

"Oh, hello Klaus," she smiled lamely, as if just now noticing him.

"Very nice, love," Klaus said, his smooth British lilt washing over her. "I know you were checking me out across the room."

Caroline rolled her eyes "Oh you are so right. I could smell the scent of arrogance from across the room. I can't say I've missed you."

Klaus smirked before leaning in closer, Caroline stepping backwards.

"Your disgust is thrilling and quite arousing, love."

Scoffing, she flipped her hair. "My name is Caroline, not 'love' or that 'sweetheart' crap you are always trying to pull."

As if she hadn't spoken, Klaus crossed his arms and pursed his lips amusedly at her.

"I assume you read my latest article in the-"

"Tribune," Caroline interrupts, and the smirk on Klaus' face widens.

"The Mayor sends his regards, sweetheart."

Caroline glares at him before turning to stalk away. Klaus slips around in front of her to stand in the way, that stupid smirk still on his face.

"Jealous?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he fixated his blazing blue eyed gaze on her. Caroline refused to meet his look and scoffed.

"Seriously? The fact that you think I would be remotely jealous over anything you did is deplorable."

"Admit it, Caroline. You're just bitter that more than half of my freelance articles have been published in the Tribune, while also being successful at the Chicago Star. And you, Little Miss Sunshine, have yet to sell a real article," Klaus ticked off his fingers, "How's that little newspaper you're working for going? I heard the Herald is going under."

Caroline glared at him.

Jackass.

"You don't know anything about me, Klaus," she shot back. "Admit it, if you hadn't stolen my press pass for the press conference the other day, it would have been _my_ article that the Tribune would have bought."

"How's your family's company by the way?" Caroline continued, her eyes narrowing. It was no secret that Klaus belonged to the Mikaelson Corporation family. Every child was born with a silver spoon in their mouths, the tabloids filled with rumors about the ruthless Mikael Mikaelson. "Did Daddy make a big donation to the Star to keep it running?

Klaus rolled his eyes, a look of mild annoyance on his face. Caroline tossed her hair behind her shoulder and gripped her bag closer, making sure to feel that her press pass was still in there.

"I noticed that my press pass was back in my office this morning," Caroline mused, cocking her head at him. "How did you get past Anna?"

"What are we? 12? I stole no such thing," Klaus drawled, placing his hands on his hips. "You really should stop making these petty accusations."

Caroline gaped at him, her face flushing with anger. "You are such a liar. All these people see you as some great writer, when I know that you're just a dick who resorts to stealing press passes to score interviews because you can't cope with the competition. Did your daddy pay the Mayor too?"

Klaus' jaw tightens, but he doesn't respond. Caroline sighs and checks her watch.

"I don't even know why I waste my time on you."

"So dinner is out of the question then?" he asked completely ignoring her latest rant, smirking slyly. He folded his arms across his chest, Caroline rolling her eyes, as she tried not to pay attention to how firm his arm muscles looked in his white dress shirt.

"Dinner is always out of the question," she snapped.

He made a tsk-ing noise and leaned in closer. "What a pity. I could show you incredible things."

"I'll pass," she smiled tightly. "I think we're done here."

She spun around to leave, Klaus watching her retreating figure and a small smirk flits across his face.

"Not even close, love," he called after her.

She tried to ignore how his words sent a shiver down her spine.

* * *

"Thank you all for being here and for your questions," the press conference director said in the microphone. "Mr. Gerard has to leave now, but if you need any additional information, please see my assistant for the press packet."

Caroline scrambled out of her chair after the press conference, hurrying to grab the commissioner, Marcel Gerard, for a personal one-on-one interview. Usually when press conferences ended, so did the interview process. However, getting a personal, different interview with the person holding the press conference helped newspapers set themselves apart from the others, thus Jenna's desire for Caroline to get the interview. Marcel strode past her, journalists clambering after him to be picked.

"I'll grant one interview. I have to get back to my office before my assistant sets the whole place on fire," Marcel called over his shoulder, Caroline rushing behind him. "How about you?"

She stopped in her tracks as Marcel nodded towards her. She motioned towards herself and he shrugged, stepping aside as she bounded towards him.

"Yes, of course," she shot him a brilliant smile and Marcel pulled her to the side. She smirked victoriously at the rest of the journalists that shot her dirty looks. Glancing at the crowd, Caroline was pleased to note that Klaus was nowhere to be seen.

 _Thank God._

"Ask away," he smiled kindly and she opened her notebook, readying her pen at the top of the page.

"Wha-"

"Marcel, my friend!"

 _Crap._

Klaus strode towards them, a rare genuine smile on his face. Caroline's heart sunk as he shook Marcel's hand, giving him a friendly pat on the back.

"How are you, mate?" Klaus asked, bumping slightly into Caroline to brush her aside. She elbowed him back, reveling in the sound of his soft groan.

"Can't complain. How's the family?" Marcel asked. "Elijah and Finn still workaholics?"

Klaus shrugged, sending a victorious smirk to Caroline who glowered at him. "You know Father, working them to the bone."

Caroline watched Marcel and Klaus converse casually for a few minutes. From what she could tell, they were old family friends as Marcel managed to ask about every single sibling Klaus had, and that was a lot. They spoke for nearly five minutes, neither of them paying attention to the fuming blonde journalist who was ready to tear the British man into tiny pieces. Finally, Marcel noticed Caroline standing, her pen still at the ready and cut Klaus off in the middle of his sentence.

"I'm sorry, Miss um-"

"Forbes," Caroline finished for him, smirking at Klaus' annoyance at being interrupted. " Caroline Forbes, with the Chicago Herald. Ready to continue the interview?"

She stared pointedly at Klaus who smirked at her amusedly.

"Oh, love, don't worry," Klaus replied, placing his hand on her arm. She glared at him, immediately ripping her arm away from him. "Marcel and I need to catch up anyways so I'll take care of it."

"But I-"

"I'll give you the notes," he continued, winking at her and her blood boiled in anger. "I promise."

She could almost hear the "not _"_ that was sure to follow after that.

Marcel thanked her for waiting and clapped a hand on Klaus' shoulder as they made their way towards the door. Her face flushed in frustration and she clenched her hands in attempt to keep from running after and tackling Klaus to the ground. He turned around to smirk at her in victory and Caroline nearly threw her pen at him.

"You asshole," she muttered as she shoved her notebook back in her bag.

It's official.

Klaus Mikaelson is the devil incarnate.

* * *

 **So, what did you guys think? Are you interested in reading more? (I hope so cuz I got quite a bit written ;))**

 **Reviews will help feed my muse and all the ammunition she needs to keep going ;) Also, you can come find me at she-walked-away on tumblr! I'm always up for talking and meeting new people :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	2. The Assignment

**Hello!**

 **Thank you all for the follows, favs, and reviews! I'm so happy that you guys all liked the first chapter! I was so nervous about posting my first real multichapter for this fandom and you guys were all so great :)**

 **I'm apologizing in advance for the first half of this chapter. Ya'll may hate me, but its a necessary plot point that had to happen. However, in this chapter we have a little flashback to Klaroline's first meeting and we get a little insight on why Klaus acts the ways he does. AND SURPRISE GUEST STAR: ENZOOOOO!**

 **Cover by Erika and beta'd by Gail :) *smooches***

 **Hope ya'll enjoy!**

* * *

Caroline sighed as she rode the elevator up to her 10th floor apartment. After Klaus' blatant interference with the Gerard interview, she called Katherine to meet her for happy hour. A good buzz and two hours later, her desire to murder Klaus Mikaelson with her bare hands had subsided a little.

Now she'd rather just cut his balls off with a rusty meat cleaver.

Tyler had called her about a half hour ago to tell her that he would meet her for dinner at her apartment and that he had something he wanted to "discuss with her." Which with him, there was probably another lawyer-esque event they would have to attend. As much as she loved Tyler, she could really do without all the political/law firm events that they had to constantly attend. She did enough of that at work with the press conferences she always had to attend.

Caroline searched for her keys as she walked up to her apartment door. She lived alone, as Tyler had a penthouse apartment across town near his firm. They both agreed that it was just easier if they kept their own apartments near their respective workplaces. Plus, Caroline really enjoyed the fact that she had her own space and independence.

Turning the lock door, Caroline pushed it open to reveal a candlelit path to her living room.

Furrowing her brow in confusion, she hung her coat and kicked off her shoes in the tiny entry hall.

"Tyler?" she called, groping along the wall for the light switch. Was the power off or something?

"Care! Don't turn on the-"

She found the switch and flipped it up.

"Lights," Tyler finished lamely from the living room. Caroline frowned in confusion as she made her way into her living room.

Tyler was sitting on the edge of the couch, his shoulders tight with tension and his handsome face screwed with apprehension. Ignoring his obvious distress, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and flopped down on the couch next to him. He'd been under a lot of stress lately so she found that it was best to let him just stew in peace for a while so he wouldn't snap at her when she tried to comfort him.

"Why were the lights out? And why did you light candles?" she asked, letting out a sigh as she snuggled into the comfortable couch. "Did my building have another outage?"

"I had something I wanted to talk to you about?" Tyler said, his voice nearly cracking at the end. She raised her eyebrows suspiciously, but brushed it off.

"Well, don't ask me about my day," Caroline groaned. "All you'll hear is me whining about Klaus Mikaelson."

Tyler looked at her in interest. His firm represented most of Mikaelson Corp's clients, and the company itself in most legal cases. He'd met Klaus a few times, and it was simple to say that there was no love lost between the two.

"Care-"

"Lord knows tomorrow will be just as miserable. Jenna will yell at me again, Klaus will have the top story in Chicago, again. I'll be writing about toilet paper, _again."_

"Caro-"

"I mean, what gives him the right to be such an ass? I think the journalism world would be much better off if he was stuck behind a desk at Mikaelson Corp and making eyes at his brothers' assistants," Caroline ranted, her face flushing in annoyance.

Tyler rolled his eyes, accustomed to the mini Klaus rants she went on every few weeks or so.

"Chicago and America, as a whole, would be a brighter place if he moved to Timbuktu, or somewhere where he could get lost in the woods. Or even the desert in Nevada, maybe the lack of water would dry up the arrogance in his brain."

"CAROLINE!" Tyler nearly shouted. She snapped out of her rant and sent Tyler a frustrated look.

"What? I've had a really bad day and I really don't have the patience to sit and talk about some new boring lawyer event we have to attend," Caroline groaned, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Would you count me proposing to you as boring?" Tyler asked, pulling out a black velvet ring box.

Caroline's jaw dropped and all the air flew out of her. Stunned, she watched as Tyler smiled slightly, taking her hand to pull her up off the couch. Her heart pounded erratically as he sunk down onto one knee, the visual bringing tears to her eyes.

It was everything she had ever wanted.

But, something didn't feel just right.

A tiny part of her was screaming at her to run away, but she pushed it down. She had thought of this moment a million times over the past five years, never thinking that it would happen and she'd be damned if a little panic ruined it.

"Caroline Forbes, I love you," Tyler began, her heart clenching at his words. "I've never been so happy before as when I'm with you. I never thought I'd feel this way about someone, but you caught me. Will you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me and be my wife?"

Caroline let out a shaky breath, surprised that she was so nervous about answering the one question she'd dreamt about for years. She opened her mouth but found that the words wouldn't come out. Tyler looked up to her expectantly and she continued to stare back at him, stunned.

Tyler's smile began to falter at her lack of answer. "Care? Are you okay? An answer would be great...any time now."

Caroline shook her head, " I-I don't think I've ever been this speechless before."

 _Or this nervous to answer what used to be a simple no-brainer._

Tyler chuckled nervously. "My knee's starting to fall asleep, babe."

The slight grimace on his face mixed in with the nervous smile caused a funny image that reminded Caroline of the Tyler she fell in love with all those years ago. Handsome, boyish, and sweet all wrapped up in a fabulous package.

Caroline threw her head back and laughed, the joke releasing all the emotion out of the moment. Her shoulders relaxing, she looked down to see Tyler's expectant smile on his face.

"Of course I'll marry you," she replied, a thousand watt smile breaking across her face. "I love you."

Tyler let out a youthful whoop of joy as he clambered to his feet. Sliding the cool metal of the platinum diamond ring on her finger, Tyler bent Caroline backwards and kissed her deeply as she giggled.

"Thank you," she whispered happily into the crook of his neck. He squeezed her gently in response. She pulled back and bit her lip shyly as she looked into his eyes. There was a guarded glint in his eyes, but she chalked that up to stress from the proposal.

"I ruined your proposal!" Caroline lamented, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand. Tyler laughed before pulling her closer.

"It's okay," he said. "We've never been normal."

Caroline smiled at that, but crinkled her forehead. On the contrary, their relationship had been the most normal, stable thing in her life.

"Come on," he tugged her towards the kitchen. "I ordered Chinese to celebrate, your favorite."

Caroline smiled weakly as she let herself be pulled into the kitchen. Italian was actually her favorite, but he had the rest of her life to figure that out.

Finally, she was going to be Mrs. Tyler Lockwood after five _long_ patient years of waiting.

But...

Why does it not feel as good as she thought it would?

Why did it feel so… _empty_?

* * *

"Klaus Mikaelson."

Klaus looked up from his bourbon that he was nursing to see the smirking face of his friend, Enzo Augustine. Klaus' younger sister, Rebekah, had an on and off relationship with Enzo that had spanned the past couple of years. To her chagrin, he and Klaus had really hit it off and formed quite the odd friendship.

"Enzo," Klaus raised his glass towards him, smiling briefly as the dark-haired man sat down next to him.

He was out at his favorite bar, a few blocks away from the Chicago Star's news office. He and Marcel had enjoyed a few drinks earlier whilst Klaus interviewed him, and it hadn't taken him long to type up a good article to send to the Tribune.

While he was a star reporter at the Chicago Star, his real talent was in freelancing. The Star didn't mind as long as he managed to get them great articles that would bring in more readers. The newspaper was starting to go under anyways, so Klaus was already starting to look for more ways to make some extra cash.

"To what are we celebrating?" Enzo asked, signaling the bartender. Klaus took a gulp of his drink as he shrugged.

"Oh, you know, mate. New article published yesterday, new article will be published tomorrow, ruffling the proverbial feathers of one Caroline Forbes," he smirked into his glass.

Caroline Forbes was one intriguing woman. A brilliant reporter who was left to do scut work for Jenna Sommers at the Chicago Herald. As much as he enjoyed riling her up at every press conference they attended, Klaus knew how talented Caroline had the potential to be. To say he was intrigued by her when they first met would be an understatement.

* * *

 _Klaus was in a particularly foul mood. His brother, Kol_ _,_ _had recently returned from business school after getting kicked out for the third time, which in reaction caused their father, Mikael_ _,_ _to blow a proverbial gasket, the blame falling solely on Klaus. It was obviously Klaus' fault for throwing a birthday party for their brother_ _,_ _Elijah, in turn causing Kol to get arrested for streaking through downtown Chicago._

 _Yet again._

 _He was covering a press conference on the new Mayor of Chicago, his first for the Chicago Star. Klaus didn't particularly care for journalism, most of his interests falling in art. However, Mikael Mikaelson would never let anyone tied to his name work in a minimum wage job at the museum, while moonlighting as a street artist. The press would have a field day._

 _Klaus was looking through his notes whilst doodling little pictures on the margins, sipping his hot tea from Starbucks as he waited for the event to begin. A small shadow fell over his seat and he looked up, his annoyed comment caught in his throat._

 _A beautiful, blonde woman was looming over him. Her blue eyes sparkling brightly, curls perfectly coiffed on her shoulder, and her legs were a mile long. She was_ _quite_ _possibly the most beautiful person he'd ever met._

 _"Hi!" she began, her voice tinkling. "I'm Caroline Forbes from the Chicago Herald."_

 _Klaus blinked at her, unable to find the words to say hello back. She looked at him amusedly, cocking her head to the side._

 _Ah yes, he knew about her. She worked for Jenna Sommers, the most annoying and self-indulgent editor in Chicago. Jenna spent more time sleeping her way to the top than she did in her college classes. He'd_ _researched_ _Caroline before when he was applying for jobs, intrigued by the opinion pieces she had written for the Herald._

 _She was a brilliant writer, a real talent. Her best articles from college were in hard-hitting journalism and political stories, not writing about stuffed animals and peaceful protests. However, she was shoehorned into the opinion section by Jenna. A feat that Klaus noted when he decided to not apply for a position at the Herald._

 _She deserved better than what she was doing at the Herald._

 _"Cat got your tongue?" she teased, smirking at him. "You would think a journalist would have more to say than just staring like a fish out of water."_

 _She giggled at him, the sound reverberating through his chest. She was captivating._

 _And he looked like an idiot._

 _Klaus stood up, folding his arms across his chest as he turned to the one thing he could always fall back on._

 _His ego._

 _"No, just wondering if the Herald knew their secretary was missing," he smirked, enjoying the way her eyes seemed to flash in anger._

 _"Excuse me?" she shrieked, crossing her arms to match his pose. "I'm the opinion editor of the Chicago Herald, thank you very much."_

 _"Yes," he continued dryly, "I've heard your piece on the new protest about Build a Bear in the zoo was a real zinger."_

 _Her gazed hardened, and his grin grew._

 _"Dinner later?" he drawled. "I'd love to get to know you. In many ways."_

 _She gaped at him, her face flushed with anger. He raised his eyebrows, inwardly kicking himself for already pissing her off. Ah, oh well. She'd give in to him eventually._

 _"You have a lot of nerve," she snapped._

 _"We're inevitable, love," he shrugged and that just seemed to piss her off even more._

 _Good._

 _He knew she was a better writer than him, and she obviously took a lot of pride into her work. Maybe if he pushed her enough, she'd realize what a great writer she actually was and would leave Jenna's clutches and join him in freelancing._

 _What he lacked in passion about writing, she made up for it._

 _"How dare you make assumptions about me," she placed her hands on her hips. "You don't even know me."_

 _Wrong._

 _He knew too much about her. Damn investigative tendencies._

 _"On the contrary, love. I know plenty," he_ _grinned_ _arrogantly_ _. "Now run along so I can prepare for the conference. That's if you aren't planning on joining me for dinner later."_

 _Caroline's face flushed a deeper red and she reached over and smacked his hot tea cup, spilling it down the front of his pants._

 _"Shit," he hissed,_ _flicking_ _the cup off his pants. He looked up, his eyes glowering at_ _her_ _._

 _She_ _smiled_ _derisively back at him. "Oops."_

 _With that_ _,_ _she stalked off, missing the small_ _tug of his lips_ _that crawled across his face._

 _She was enchanting._

* * *

"Caroline Forbes, eh? That gorgeous blonde reporter?" Enzo mused. "I'm surprised you haven't shagged that yet."

Klaus shot him a dirty look and downed the rest of his drink.

"She's not exactly someone you just 'shag'," Klaus remarked, motioning to the bartender for another bourbon. "Plus, that's a can of worms that should never be opened."

Enzo chuckled in his glass as he sipped at it.

"Afraid you'll catch feelings?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "No. That's the least of my worries."

"Then why the fascination with her?" Enzo asked, raising his eyebrow at Klaus' annoyed expression. "I seem to recall multiple clashes between you two over the past couple of years."

Klaus shrugged, pressing his lips together on contemplation.

"She's got a lot of potential to be a great writer. I hate to see talent wane behind the clutches of Jenna Sommers, the worst editor the Herald has ever had."

Enzo shot him a disbelieving look. "Is that all that there is?"

Klaus scoffed. "Your subtlety is worse than Rebekah's, mate."

Enzo grinned back at him.

"Well, she has rubbed off on me during the past few years," he implied with a crude grin. Klaus narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"Don't make me rip your throat out," he threatened, sipping his drink. Enzo's grin widened at the empty threat.

They both sat quietly for a few minutes, nursing their drinks in comfortable solitude.

"She needs to be pushed," Klaus said, staring at his glass with a hard look. "She can hate me all she wants, but me pushing her buttons makes her more determined and a better journalist at that."

"Caroline," Klaus clarified at Enzo's confused hum. "She's brilliant. But she needs motivation to be the best that she can."

He swirled his drink in his glass, his thoughts lost on the blonde spitfire reporter.

Enzo nodded slowly before draining his glass.

"Are you sure that's the only reason you care?"

Klaus didn't reply, pressing his lips in a hard line.

Enzo smirked at Klaus' silence before reaching into his wallet for his credit card.

"How about this next round's on me, mate?"

Klaus looked up at him before catching a shiny flash of red hair behind Enzo's shoulder. The hair belonged to a beautiful woman sitting across the bar, her heated gaze trained on him.

Klaus felt a smirk crawl across his face, the lustful gaze from the red-headed woman reverberating through him. Enzo looked over his shoulder at Klaus' distraction before chuckling.

"I see you already have plans," he clapped his hand on Klaus' back. The curly haired Brit flashed him a sly smile, drained his glass, and stood up.

"Don't wait for me," Klaus murmured and Enzo rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Be careful, mate. She looks bewitching."

Klaus winked before making his way over to the beautiful red-head, his thoughts on Caroline Forbes completely forgotten from his head.

* * *

"Oh my God, Care, he did fabulous!" Katherine crowed, her eyes trained on Caroline's new engagement ring. Caroline beamed back at her best friend. Katherine had immediately cornered her that morning in her office before she even had a chance to drink her coffee.

"I just could not believe he finally asked me," Caroline admitted, blinking down at her ring. "I've waited five years for this."

"Well, the ring was well worth the wait. What is it, like three carats?" Katherine asked, squinting at the diamond. Caroline giggled, pulling her hand away from her.

There was a soft knock at her office door before Jenna stuck her head in. Caroline's heart immediately sank. She had been so caught up in Tyler's proposal and the excitement last night that she had completely forgotten about the botched Marcel Gerard interview and article.

"You two, my office. Now."

With that, Jenna spun around and left Caroline's door hanging wide open. Caroline shot a curious look to Katherine, surprised to see slight apprehension cross her face.

"What was that all about?" Katherine asked, biting her lip. "She looked _pissed."_

Caroline sighed. "I should probably start packing up my office. I screwed up with the commissioner article last night. Well, Klaus did."

"Shocker," Katherine deadpanned. "The ass strikes again. I swear you just need to fuck him once and he'll be in your clutches for years to come."

"Hello?" Caroline protested, waving her left hand in front of Katherine. "I'm engaged now!"

"That just makes the situation even more dangerous and a whole lot hotter," Katherine said flippantly.

Caroline squinted at her, cocking her head to the side. "I worry about your morals sometimes."

Katherine just winked at her.

"Let's go meet my doom," Caroline sighed, motioning towards Jenna's office. She tugged Katherine across the office, each step heavier than the next.

Opening the door, her heart rate raced at the cross look on Jenna's face.

"Sorry about the Gerard article, Jenna. Kla-"

"I don't care," her boss interrupted, gesturing with her hand towards the chairs in front of her desk. Exchanging a confused look with Katherine, Caroline slipped into the seat.

"What I do care about is this file," Jenna continued, dropping a manila folder on her desk and pushed it towards the blonde.

"What's this?" Caroline asked, reaching for it.

"Everything that I need to know about Klaus Mikaelson," Jenna remarked. Caroline wrinkled her nose in disgust and dropped the file back on the desk.

Gross. It was probably covered in diseases.

"I'm confused," Katherine interrupted. "Why would anyone want to know anything about that douche bag?"

"I do," Jenna waved her hand flippantly. "It's the one thing that we can use to get under his skin, to get under the Mikaelson Corporation. We can use this information to write an expose."

"Wait," Caroline began slowly. "You want me to do research on Klaus for you to write an expose on him, or the company?"

Jenna shrugged. "It doesn't matter who we bring down first. There is a reason why he is the only Mikaelson kid who doesn't work for them. And _I'm_ not writing it, _you_ are."

Caroline shook her head frantically. "What? No. This sounds like tabloid trash."

Jenna sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Listen kid, this isn't about him or you. It's about the paper. I don't like this any more than you do, but we're running low on cash here at the Herald. People don't read newspapers like they used to. We need this kicker more than ever now, or else we won't have a paper in a few months."

Caroline sucked in a low breath. She knew that the paper had made some cuts as of recently, but she didn't know exactly how bad it had gotten.

"Listen, you don't have to let me know right away. Just think about it, and let me know tomorrow morning by 8 am," Jenna stated, leaning back in her chair. Caroline looked numbly down at the file on her desk before gingerly lifting it up.

She hated Klaus as much as the next person, but was it worth compromising every single moral she had as a reporter to garner some type of tabloid article?

Was it worth saving her job? This could push her up to a bigger position at the paper, and maybe one day editor in chief.

But at what cost?

"I'll do it," Caroline swallowed, ignoring the surprised gasp that spilled out of Katherine's mouth.

"Where do I start first?"

Jenna smiled and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her desk.

"I knew you'd see it my way."

* * *

 **Thoughts? What do you think about the Forwood engagement? The flashback? How do we feel about Klaus' intentions and his ulterior motive for why he pushes Caroline's buttons? The article? Let me know what you think! Reviews really help me understand where you guys are at as a reader and the things you hope to happen in the next chapter!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Also, since I'm friends with those working on the KC awards, remember to get you nominations in! They end the 10th I believe, so don't forget to nominate your favorite blogs, graphic/gif set creaters, twitters, writers, and videos!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	3. Hey Bartender

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the great feedback on chapter 2! I was worried you guys would come after me with pitchforks after the Forwood engagement. I'm glad you all liked Klaus' reasoning for being the bonehead that he has been towards her. Silly Klaus!**

 **This chapter is pretty Klaroline heavy and it really starts to kick their future interactions in gear. My beta told me she got a lot of feels while reading it, so I hope that means you guys will like it :)**

 **Cover by Erika, beta'd by Gail.**

 **See ya at the bottom!**

* * *

Caroline sighed, checking her phone for what felt like the ten-thousandth time. She was sitting in a swanky hotel restaurant's bar, waiting for Tyler to show up for their usual Thursday night date. He was uncharacteristically late again, probably still working. He'd been somewhat tardy for the last couple of weeks, but he always chalked it up to working on this huge case that the Lockwood firm had going to trial within the next few weeks. He had told her a little about it, something to do with a divorce that included the wife cheating on her rich husband with his poor brother, and voiding the prenuptial agreement. The wife was apparently unstable, having emotional outbursts and continuing to try to seduce her own husband while also stringing along the brother.

The case ended up being a bigger deal that it was supposed to, according to Tyler, so now he was stuck working a lot of late nights with his fellow colleagues and their client.

However, his lack of punctuality had seemed to interfere with his basic common courtesy when it came to letting his fiancée know that he was going to be late.

Tracing the rim of her wine glass, Caroline propped her cheek up against her fist as she glared at her empty notifications screen. She'd been waiting for about 15 minutes, and was already on her second glass of wine. Work had been very stressful that day, working on the newest opinion article whilst also starting research on Klaus.

She still had a lot of hesitations about writing such a piece, but with the future of the Herald riding on something big like the Mikaelson expose, it was a sacrifice she was willing to take. The article could be her big break into freelancing, or move her out of the Opinion section and into something more hard-hitting than toilet paper protests.

Long shot, but still possible.

Other than worrying about her reputation as a future reporter, Caroline was also uneasy about how Klaus would retaliate if they really did uncover something big. She couldn't stand the smug journalist, but this article was going to be deeply personal. She heard that his father, Mikael, had quite the temper and if Klaus was anything like him, so would he.

Checking her phone again, she shot a quick text to Tyler yet again asking if he was on his way. Her phone buzzed back almost immediately to her surprise, her heart sinking a little when she noticed that it was a message from Katherine.

 _I checked out some of the other Mikaelson siblings. Finn and Elijah are the two oldest and seem to be_ _as_ _squeaky clean and boring as your fiancé. God, does anybody in this town have fun anymore?_

 _-Kat_

Caroline rolled her eyes in response. Katherine liked Tyler pretty well, but she didn't hide her feelings on how straight-laced and lackluster she found him.

 _Not all of us still like going to clubs like we're still 22, Kat. Did you check out his parents yet?_

 _-Care_

Katherine's response was fast.

 _Please, you love girls weekends at the club. We're 26, not grandmothers. And I checked out Esther. Not much is known about her, other than the fact that she's been a stay at home mother ever since her oldest was born. Typical trophy wife, 6 kids, big mansion._

 _-Kat_

Caroline giggled at Katherine's grandmother comment. At least once a month, she and Katherine would have a self proclaimed girls weekend, starting at the club on Friday and Saturday nights, ending at the spa on Sunday nursing hangovers and getting massages.

 _Big mansion full of secrets?_

 _-Care_

 _Quite possibly. If there was only one way to get in there...perhaps some minor flirtation on your end? For the article, of course..._

 _;)_

 _-Kat_

Wrinkling her nose at her message, Caroline typed out a quick response. Even though Caroline was going to write the article, Katherine volunteered to help her do some of the dirty work. The file that Jenna had put together was still sitting untouched on her desk, almost like she didn't want to open that can of worms.

 _If you're suggesting that I do something drastic, something like asking to see Klaus' childhood bedroom or something like that, we are not 15 anymore_ _,_ _Kat. Plus, I might catch something disgusting._

 _-Care_

 _It's a house, not a bar._

 _-Kat_

 _If it is anywhere Klaus Mikaelson has lived or touched, I wouldn't be so sure. Besides, I'm engaged and that's just awkward. How would I even go about trying to get into that house? You're the single one._

 _-Care_

 _I swear, one of these days Klaus and you will take care of that sexual tension between you two. Because_ _,_ _honestly, you need to get laid by someone more exciting than Tyler. Like, either get each other off, or get off each other's cases._

 _-Kat_

Caroline nearly choked on her sip of wine. Grimacing at her phone, she quickly tapped out a response to Katherine. She loved her, but the Team Klaus attitude was staring to wear thin.

 _Warn a girl before you_ _go_ _off spouting something crazy like that. In case you forgot my news yesterday? I'M ENGAGED. TO TYLER. THE GUY I'VE BEEN WITH FOR FIVE YEARS. Since when are you on Team Klaus? I'm almost offended that you would suggest me doing something other than kicking him in the proverbial and actual balls._

 _-Care_

The bartender placed her third glass of wine in front of her and Caroline smiled in thanks. She took a quick sip, blinking at how lightheaded she was starting to feel. The wine mixed in with the lack of food and Katherine's sudden Klaus suggestion was starting to make her brain spin.

Her phone vibrated with Katherine's response, and she shook her head, as if she could shake the wine consumption out of her head.

 _I'm just saying. He's hot. You're hot. Obviously, there is a bunch of tension there and every girl needs the last fling before the ring. He's such a player anyways that he would never talk about it afterwards. And he's rich._

 _-Kat_

Pursing her lips together, she lifted her eyes to the ceiling in annoyance. Noting it was Thursday night, which meant "Thirsty Thursday" for Katherine, a tradition she invented back in college and had yet to stop celebrating them. It was way past time for her to start drinking, so she wouldn't put it past her to already be slightly tipsy.

 _Are you drunk already?_

 _-Care_

 _Little bit_

 _-Kat_

She giggled at her phone as she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Katherine always lost what little filter she had when she started drinking.

"Something funny?"

Caroline immediately stopped laughing as she heard the familiar, annoying, yet charismatic British lilt. She turned around slowly in her bar stool, glaring at the familiar smirk plastered across Klaus' face.

"Other than your lack of social life? No," Caroline smiled tightly at him.

Klaus placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "You wound me, love."

"It's Caroline. And did I wound you enough to get you to leave? Because you should."

Klaus grinned imperviously in response before gesturing at the empty bar stool next to her. "Mind if I join?"

"Yes, I do actually. So please-"

Klaus ignored her and slid onto the bar stool. "Completely disregard everything I said," Caroline glared at him. She gripped her wine glass tightly in her hand and took a sip through pursed lips.

Klaus motioned to the bartender. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"I'd rather die of thirst, but thanks," Caroline responded with a fake saccharine smile. He chuckled at her obvious disgust and ordered a scotch on the rocks and another glass of wine for her. Glowering at him, she glanced over Klaus' shoulder to check for Tyler again, her shoulders drooping when the man was nowhere in sight.

Klaus turned to face her on his bar stool, smiling slightly at her annoyed expression.

"Looking for someone?"

Caroline scoffed, taking a gulp out of her new wine glass. "Yes, actually. My fiancée."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her in confusion, realization dawning on his features as he focused on her left hand. He picked up her hand, and Caroline tried to ignore how warm and rough his hands felt against her smooth skin. She yanked her hand away immediately, chalking up the way her head got all fuzzy from his touch to alcohol consumption.

"Ah, you have a new accessory. Pray tell, who is the lucky man?" Klaus asked, taking a huge sip of his scotch.

"Tyler Lockwood."

Klaus' eyes hardened at his name and a scowl crawled across his face. "You're marrying that git?"

Caroline gasped indignantly and narrowed her eyes at him.

"That _git_? If you mean the love of my life, Tyler, then yes I am marrying him," she bit out, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder.

Klaus rolled his eyes and drained the rest of his drink, motioning for another to the bartender.

"How do you even know him?" Caroline asked, waving off the bartender when he asked if she wanted another drink.

Klaus shrugged. "His family's firm represents my family's company, remember? I've ran into him quite a few times. Got to say, love, I had you pegged as someone who wanted a little bit of fire and spark in your bedroom."

Caroline gasped incredulously in shock, her cheeks tingeing pink in the process.

"How dare you make assumptions about my sex life. Not that it's any of your business, but Tyler and I have plenty of fire and spark in our-" she sputtered, him grinning at her defiant expression.

"Shut up," she muttered. "I'm drunk."

"It's very endearing sweetheart," he remarked. "More endearing that your fiancé, or so I've heard."

She rolled her eyes, propping her chin up with her arm on the bar. "Very mature. Why do you care who I'm marrying anyways?"

Klaus didn't say anything in response, electing to take a sip of his refreshed drink. She whirled back around to the bar, eying her fresh glass of wine.

"Shall we change the subject then?" Klaus mused. "Or perhaps get you some food?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and waved her hand flippantly.

"Or you could just leave," she muttered darkly, swaying a little on her stool.

"Now why would I do that? I'm having too much fun learning about the spark and fire of- _shit_ ," Klaus hissed as she elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

"Touchy are we?"

Caroline ignored him, checking her phone to see if Tyler had texted her back. Groaning in annoyance, she tossed her phone on the bar and propped her head up by both of her fists. She sighed and looked at Klaus who was watching her amusedly as he sipped from his drink.

Obviously leaving her alone wasn't part of his agenda.

"So what do you want to talk about?" she sighed, forfeiting defeat.

"I want to talk about you," Klaus said, smirking at her. "Your hopes, your dreams, everything you want in life."

Caroline snorted. "Does that line work on all the girls?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Klaus shrugged with a teasing smile. Caroline met his amused gaze and smiled in spite of herself.

Maybe it was the alcohol speaking, but _damn_ he looked rather attractive right now. His eyes were sparkling with amusement, his hair perfectly mussed, and his raspberry lips were arranged in a pouty smirk.

Clearly, she had lost her mind.

"Nice try but my panties are staying on," she joked, his grin widening at her playful tone.

"For now," he cut in and Caroline laughed.

"Wow, you have quite the ego." She raised her eyebrows and Klaus pursed his lips in thought. Caroline's eyes slid down to his mouth, wondering how his lips would feel if she touched them.

She really needed to stop drinking.

"I'm only stating the facts. It's only a matter of time before we, _you know_."

And he's right back to being the egotistical ass that she knows and loathes.

Caroline rolled her eyes, turning to face the bar. "You know this was nice and all, but I'm rather busy tonight, Klaus."

Klaus narrowed his eyes at her. "Because sitting by yourself and drinking almost four glasses of wine really screams 'rush hour busy.'"

"Tyler is just running a little late," Caroline protested and he scoffed.

"I've been sitting here for almost fifteen minutes, sweetheart, and you were already on your third glass."

Caroline huffed and whirled across to face him. She didn't know if it was the alcohol seeping into her brain or years and years of annoyance of Klaus but if she didn't get this out, she was going to _explode._

"You know what, Klaus? It's really none of your business how I choose to spend my time or who with. Yeah, Tyler is a little late but what's the big deal? Unlike you, he's worth waiting for."

Klaus' eyes had widened at her outburst. The shock oozed of his face, his blue orbs fixated on her with a glare, the expression growing darker in anger as she continued to rant on.

"Unlike you, I'm not going to be alone for the rest of my life."

"I'm not-" he tried to cut in and Caroline cut him off with the wave of her hand.

"Oh, shut up, Klaus. You see that blonde over there?" Caroline motioned behind him, Klaus' icy expression snapping to the side.

"In approximately five minutes, you're going to walk over to her, buy her a drink, tell her the line you used on me, and she'll be yours for the night. Tomorrow? Same process, except with a brunette or redhead. That's how you operate, Klaus: lather, rinse, repeat."

Caroline finished, panting slightly. Klaus stared at her coolly, the glare on his face sending shivers down her spine. If looks could kill, she'd be dead and buried.

"Seems like you have me all figured out," he bit out. Caroline swallowed heavily, noticing the tiny bit of hurt in his eyes.

"I need to go," she whispered, noticing Tyler finally walk in over Klaus' shoulder.

Klaus blinks in response, turning back to the bar without saying a word. Caroline swallowed down the tiny bit of guilt that was building up in her stomach and hopped off the barstool, laying a couple of bills down for her drinks.

"Thanks for the drink," she muttered, not really sure why she was thanking him or why she felt like she should apologize for the hurtful things that just came out of her mouth. He nodded curtly, turning to look at her. His eyes swiftly dropped to her left hand, his expression inscrutable. She immediately ripped her hand from the bar, feeling uneasy. She walked towards Tyler, her stomach swimming with alcohol and slight guilt.

Still.

He deserved it after the Gerard interview.

"Babe, I am so sorry," Tyler rambled when she reached him, not noticing the perturbed look on her face. "Mrs. Salvatore had to come in for an emergency deposition and it lasted longer than we thought it would."

Caroline nodded numbly, glancing quickly to see Klaus staring at them, his shoulders tense and his expression still indecipherable.

"Can we just go home?" she muttered. "I'm tired and drunk."

Tyler cocked his head at her in surprise, but nodded nonetheless.

"Do you want me to go get takeout?"

Caroline shrugged in response, turning around, her vision was void of Klaus. "I don't care. I just want a bath and to relax."

Tyler smirked at her, the expression reminding her of Klaus' signature look and she cringed slightly.

"I can relax you all right," he flirted, kissing her lightly on the lips. Caroline smiled at him briefly, allowing herself to be tugged towards the door. She turned around one last time to watch Klaus. He was sitting and talking to the blonde woman she had pointed out, the picture causing a slight twinge in her chest.

Shaking her head, she looked and smiled lamely at Tyler, chalking her distaste for the scene as annoyance and followed him out the door.

Clearly she had too much to drink.

It was the only way to explain the guilt and confusion that she felt towards Klaus.

The _only_ reason.

* * *

 **So what did you guys think? How did we feel about the Klaroline showdown? Klaus' reaction to her engagement? Was it too angsty? Thoughts on Forwood's future? Anybody figure out who Tyler's client is?**

 **Please review and tell me what you think! Reviews really help motivate me to continue with this story and let me know what you guys are liking/hating/want to see more of. As always, I'm on tumblr at she-walked-away! You can also message me there if you have questions, or comments or just want to say hi!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	4. Uncovered

**HEY GUYS!**

 **Here is the next chapter. It's pretty plot heavy, light on KC but lots and lots of Katholine friendship :)**

 **Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE KLAROLINE AWARD NOMS! I was shocked out of my gourd (sorry, southern saying) when I saw that I was nominated in 6(!) categories. I never thought it would be possible for me to ever be nominated since I still feel like a newbie to this fandom.**

 **I decided to chose these three categories to participate in: "Best Underrated Author," Best Fluffy Drabble/OneShot for "Baby Talk" (found in Lumiere Over Me on my profile), and Best Crack Drabble/OneShot for "Thinking Out Loud" (which is also found on my profile). Voting is going on now so remember to get all your votes in for all your favorites! There is a lot of great talent out there this year :)**

 **And here we go!**

* * *

Caroline let herself into Katherine's apartment quietly the next morning. It about an hour and a half before she was due for work, and she was avoiding staying at her apartment where Tyler was. It wasn't like she had any issues with her fiancé, but she had barely slept a wink the night before due to stressing over the Mikaelson article and her argument with Klaus and the absolute last thing she wanted to do that morning was have sex.

She had rebuffed his advances the night before, citing a headache and stress from work. Plus, she was slightly drunk from all the wine consumption at the bar. However, that wasn't going to fly this morning. It's not like she wanted to avoid having sex with him. On the contrary, sex with Tyler was amazing, but all the recent stress from work had put a hit on her libido as of late. She high tailed it out of there super early that morning, leaving a sleeping Tyler and a half consumed pot of coffee in her wake. She went to her favorite bakery and picked up some more coffee and pastries, sure to cure the usual Friday morning hangover that Katherine would have from her drunken adventures the night before.

Setting her purse on Katherine's kitchen counter, Caroline wrinkled her nose at the open take out boxes and half filled wine glass next to it. She threw away the takeout box and reached for the glass of wine. She eyed it for a minute before tipping her head back and draining the glass, savoring the bittersweet taste.

It would seriously be a crime to waste all that good wine.

Making her way to Katherine's bedroom, Caroline prayed that her best friend had the decency to stay dressed the night before, having walked in on her many times after Thirsty Thursday adventures.

 _Oh God, hopefully she's alone this time_ , Caroline thought, thinking back to many awkward times where some of Katherine's bedmates assumed they were invited to breakfast the next morning. Poking her head into her best friend's room, Caroline sighed in relief as she spotted her fast asleep. Her brown chestnut curls were mussed, mouth open, and she was snoring slightly. Grinning at the visual, Caroline reached for her phone to snap a picture.

Nothing like a little friendly blackmail to start the day.

"Morning!" Caroline chirped, dropping the bag of pastries next to Katherine's disheveled head.

Katherine jolted awake, sitting up quickly. "Oh my God!"

Caroline giggled as the other woman shot her a dark glare. She plopped down on the bed, pushing Katherine's feet out of the way.

"What time is it?" Katherine grumbled, massaging her temples.

"7 AM," she answered, glancing at the bedside alarm clock past Katherine's shoulder.

"What on earth possessed you to break into my apartment at 7 AM and wake me up?" Katherine asked, her usual biting tone muffled by her hands. "I'm hungover."

"I know," Caroline shrugged. "But I couldn't sleep, nor did I feel like having to deal with morning sex, so I went and brought breakfast."

She picked up the pastry bag and dangled it in front of Katherine's face who in turn, glared at her.

"There better be something cream-filled in there," the brunette mumbled, snatching the bag out of her hands. Caroline grinned in response, watching her tear into the bag.

Popping a bite of an éclair in her mouth, Katherine moaned in bliss and Caroline chuckled, sipping at one of the coffees from the drink holder in her hand. Katherine held her hand out and raised her eyebrow at the other coffee, Caroline rolling her eyes before handing the cup over.

Taking a sip, she exhaled happily before fixating on Caroline's face. "Avoiding morning sex? You're not even married yet and you're acting like you have been for 15 years."

Caroline dropped her gaze to Katherine's comforter and shrugged. "I didn't sleep well and I didn't want to have to deal with the 'Lockwood seduction.'"

During the last part, she used air quotes, causing a giggle to fall from Katherine's lips.

"Is he still calling it that?"

"What do you think?" Caroline shot back with a pointed look. Katherine barked out a laugh, and the blonde slapped her knee through the bedcovers.

"It's not that funny," she muttered and the brunette beauty gave her an "are you kidding me" look.

"Whatever you say, Care," Katherine shrugged, sipping her drink. Caroline put her own cup to her lips, blowing gently on the steam as she stared at the headboard deep in thought.

"So?"

Caroline snapped her head back to look at her best friend who was staring at her with an inquisitive expression.

"What?"

"You want to tell me why you're here at 7 in the morning?"

Caroline raised her eyebrows, shrugging noncommittally. "Just thought I'd bring my best friend a hangover breakfast."

Narrowing her eyes at Caroline, Katherine swallowed her bite. "I don't believe you."

Caroline scoffed, taking a sip of her coffee. "I swear, no ulterior motives."

"No, I know you don't have any. But something is bothering you," Katherine mused. "Better tell me now or I'll pester you all day long."

Caroline sighed, situating herself next to Katherine as they both sit on her pillows, leaning up against the headboard.

"It's this whole Mikaelson article," she began. "I just have a lot of moral issues with it. I mean, what if we actually do uncover something big? Yeah, that would be great for the paper, but what does that say about me as a journalist? And then I ran into Klaus last night and-"

"Hold up," Katherine interrupted. "You ran into Klaus last night?"

"Yeah, he was at the hotel bar when I was waiting on Tyler. Anyways, we had words and I said something incredibly accurate, but incredibly rude about his sex life-"

"He deserves it."

"True, but I still feel kind of bad," Caroline sighed. "And now I'm just dreading to see what he'll do to retaliate."

Katherine snorted. "Please, it's Klaus. The only thing that bothers him is if the store is out of his hair gel and condoms. He'll return to his usual douchebaggery flirtation with you in no time."

Caroline rolled her eyes and leaned her head back against the headboard.

"I feel guilty about this, Katherine," she whispered. "Klaus is annoying, rude, and an asshole, but I don't feel right digging into his past and his family."

Katherine didn't say anything in response, sipping her coffee as they both sat in silence, stewing in their own thoughts.

"Is it his family that you feel guilty about, or him?" Katherine asked. Caroline exhaled, turning to look at her best friend who watched her with warm brown eyes.

"I don't know," Caroline murmured. "I mean, it's one thing for us to throw mutual shallow insults at one another. But it's a whole other thing when it comes to taking those insecurities he has and spinning it into a story. Klaus has never talked about his family in the time I've known him."

"Sometimes people don't talk about their families. Especially in the workplace," Katherine offered.

She shook her head. "It doesn't make sense that he's the only family member that doesn't work for Mikaelson Corp. It's fishy."

She sipped her coffee again, Katherine content to let her continue. "I know that there is a story. There always is with families like the Mikaelsons."

"So, what are you going to do?"

Caroline sat in silence, contemplating her choices. On one hand, she could find the biggest story of her life and help save the Chicago Herald, saving her job, and jump starting the rest of her career. On the other hand, the whole story could bomb and her career could be ruined, she could risk messing up her somewhat working relationship with Klaus, and be forced to bring coffee to editors for the rest of her life.

But man, Caroline Forbes would be a great byline.

What was life without taking risks?

"I already said I'm doing it," she declared. "But I have conditions. I won't specifically target just him. I want to look more into Mikaelson Corp. Those companies always have something."

"Look at you, being devious," Katherine smirked at her. "I'm so proud."

Caroline rolled her eyes, swatting at Katherine with a pillow. Her friend ducked, bending over to cover her coffee cup.

"Be careful! I'm hung over," she pouted.

Caroline snorted before kicking her leg slightly. "Get up and get dressed. We have work to do."

Katherine huffed, slinking off her bed as Caroline wiggled slightly on the bed, getting herself comfy as she waited. Her phone chimed with a text from Tyler that read that he was sorry that she missed out on the "Lockwood seduction" and that he was canceling their date for the next day due to work.

 _It's Saturday_

- _Care_

 _I know babe, but Mrs. Salvatore isn't available for the depo today so we have to do it tomorrow._

 _-Ty_

 _You suck. It's a good think you're cute._

 _-Care_

 _I love you too babe. I swear, I'll make it up to you! I'll arrange a spa day for you..._

 _-Ty_

 _You had me a_ _t_ _spa. xoxoxo Love you and call me later?_

 _-Care_

 _Of course I will. xo_

 _-Ty_

She sighed and flung her phone down on the bed and slithered down the headboard, lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

Sitting in her cramped office chair, Caroline scooted up to her desk to peer at her computer better.

The file Jenna had given her not been helpful at all. Either Klaus was squeaky clean, highly unlikely, or Jenna was just terrible at research, more likely. All she and Katherine found were parking tickets and an indecent exposure charge from when he was 17.

Unsurprisingly.

She was on the Mikaelson Corporation website looking at the "People" section, carefully assessing each any every person with the last name Mikaelson. So far there was the oldest son, ; Finn, who was the Chief Financial Officer; Elijah Mikaelson, who was head of the legal department ( _So, he must know Tyler,_ she muttered to herself); Kol Mikaelson, Marketing director; and Rebekah Mikaelson, who ran the social media department.

It struck her kind of odd that Klaus seemed to be the only Mikaelson child who didn't work for the company, minus the youngest brother Henrik who was only 16.

Finn was the oldest at 32, Elijah at 30, Klaus was 27, Kol 25, and Rebekah at 24.

 _That's quite the age gap,_ Caroline thought, making a note of it. Not necessarily suspicious, but interesting enough to look into.

Turning her attention on to Mikael Mikaelson, ( _What a name,_ she snorted) Caroline studied his picture.

He was handsome, for an older guy. Dark blonde curly hair, slight stubble, and a steely glare. There was a glint of something in his eyes. It was more malicious looking than Klaus' normal impish expressions.

"Hey!"

Katherine burst into Caroline's door, startling her. She shrieked a little, accidentally flinging her pen across the room. She glared at Katherine who was smirking back derisively.

"Payback," she remarked, stalking over to Caroline's desk settling on the edge of it.

"It's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything or it'd be all over my research," the blonde glared, motioning towards her journal. Katherine rolled her eyes before picking it up and flipping through the pages.

"Anything juicy?" she asked.

Caroline shook her head. "Not unless you count an 8 year gap between the two youngest kids and the fact that Klaus is the only Mikaelson kid that is of age not working for the company, which we knew already."

Katherine hummed noncommittally as her eyes roved over the pages, reading them.

"So basically, the only thing you have is that Esther and Mikael didn't do the dirty for 8 years."

Caroline rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer screen. "At least I've done _some_ kind of work today. Did you get anything done?"

"Unless you count changing my background and googling pictures of Ryan Gosling, then no."

"Katherine," Caroline sighed. "You're supposed to be helping me with the research."

Katherine shrugged. "I'm hungover. Sue me."

"You know one of these days, when I'm married to Tyler, I just might," Caroline grumbled.

Katherine giggled and put the notebook down, glancing around the blonde's shoulder at the computer screen.

"Holy shit! Who is that stud muffin?"

Caroline swiveled around and looked at the picture of Mikael that she had been staring at. "Who? Him? That's Klaus' dad."

Katherine shook her head impatiently before gesturing below his picture. "No, _him_!"

Caroline looked down at the person of interest, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Elijah?"

"Yes!" Katherine replied, her eyes glued to the handsome dark-haired man on the computer screen. "What a fine piece of specimen."

"Really?" Caroline asked, skeptically. "I mean obviously he's attractive, but he looks super straight-laced and rigid. Not to mention boring."

Katherine smirked at Caroline, commentating, "Maybe he just needs a few rounds with me to loosen up."

"Ew," Caroline mumbled.

"I'm serious, Caroline, he's so hot. I would even tell him my real name before I bang him."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she turned to look back at her. Katherine's real name was Katerina Petrova, born in Bulgaria and moved to the USA when she was three. She used the pen name Katherine Pierce for her personal life and professional life. It was just always easier to pronounce and she liked it a lot better than Katerina. She didn't have much of a relationship with either of her parents much anymore, so she had ditched the foreign name when she turned 18.

"You didn't even tell me your real name until we'd been friends for over a year," Caroline remarked.

"I'm not trying to have sex with you," Katherine rebuffed and slid off the desk. "Move."

She wheeled her office chair out of the way as Katherine started typing into the computer, pulling up a google search.

"What are you doing?"

"Googling Elijah," was her answer. Caroline sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How is this productive for our research?"

"It's not," Katherine mused. "But it's productive for getting me laid."

Caroline huffed, pushing Katherine slightly to the side so that she could examine the search results."Scoot."

Katherine scrolled through the pictures lazily, making sly comments about the various pictures she found. Most of them were pictures from corporate events, some professional family pictures that included Klaus (Caroline forced Katherine to skip those), and even some pictures from the past.

"Who is that?" Caroline asked, pointing to the screen. They had found a Mikaelson family paparazzi photo album online and they were scrolling through it. There was a man with curly sandy blonde hair standing in the background of a family paparazzi picture from the mid-nineties.

"I don't know," Katherine stated. "But he's been in a lot of these pictures from the nineties."

Caroline squinted her eyes at the man, noting that there was something familiar about him.

"He looks really familiar," she commented. "Very."

Katherine tilted her head at the picture, squinting back at it. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he looks like an older version of Klaus."

Caroline's stomach twisted as the recognition set in. The man had a haircut very similar to Klaus' and if she didn't think she was crazy, she thought his jaw line was just like Klaus'.

"He's even got the same smirk," Caroline whispered, pointing at another picture. It was unmistakable, the familiar smirk was staring back at her in the picture, this one being directed at teenaged Finn.

"Who is this guy?" Katherine muttered, clicking on the photo and scrolling down to the caption. "An uncle?"

"A bodyguard," Caroline finished, "Look. It says, _Teenager Finn Mikaelson speaks to Mikaelson family body guard, Ansel Erikson, as the family enjoys a fun spring afternoon in NYC as they finish out their family vacation_."

"You don't think that-"

"Esther and Ansel hooked up and had Klaus?" Caroline interrupted.

"I wasn't until I saw how Klaus is literally a mini-Ansel," she continued, pointing at the little blonde boy in the corner of the picture, his signature smirk plastered across his small face, the exact same one that was on the man in question.

"This just got tons more twisted," Katherine remarked, Caroline nodding numbly in response.

"Do you think it's possible?" Caroline whispered.

Katherine shrugged. "Only one way to check. Shut your eyes unless you want to see me do illegal things."

Caroline groaned and reluctantly obeyed. "This is so not good."

She heard Katherine tap on the keyboard for a few minutes before she opened her eyes. Katherine was scrolling through some scanned documents before she stopped on one.

"What's that?"

"Klaus' birth certificate. Well, Niklaus'," Katherine said over her shoulder. "Look at this."

Caroline looked at where she was pointing with the mouse at the "father" section. "It's says Mikael."

Katherine shook her head. "Do you see where part of the line is missing under Mikael's name? Notice that his name was printed with handwriting and not a computer?"

Caroline peered at the screen, taking note of how the bottom line under Mikael's name was gone. Shrugging, she looked at Katherine dubiously.

"Why is that a big deal?"

"It's a big deal because it's possible that the birth certificate was fixed to say Mikael. His name could have been printed over whiteout or something if it initially said something else."

"That doesn't prove anything," Caroline expostulated.

"No," Katherine began, "but the fact that all the other birth certificates have their father's name typed is enough probable cause that something was tampered with Klaus'."

Caroline ran her hands down her face, suddenly feeling nauseous. "Are you sure?"

"Checked them before I got to his," Katherine replied.

"Oh God," Caroline muttered. "This could be huge."

Katherine clicked a button to print out the certificate and handed it to her. Caroline stared at it numbly, her stomach twisting anxiously at the possible paternity lie. She didn't particularly care about Klaus by any means, but no person deserved to have something like this hidden from him.

"I have to tell him," Caroline whispered.

"What?" Katherine shrieked. "No, you can't!"

"This isn't some money laundering crap, Kat, this is his father!" Caroline gestured, shaking the birth certificate at her. "If he finds out that I knew-"

"Hold up, Care," Katherine cut her off. "Is this more about telling Klaus so that he won't be blindsided, or is it about telling him because you don't want him to hate you?"

Caroline wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "I don't care if he hates me, Katherine. I don't want to ruin his life."

Katherine looked at her skeptically. "Then why did you agree to do this article? You knew finding something big like this could happen."

Caroline stared back at her intensely, unable to form an answer. Katherine smiled sadly, patting her on the arm.

"Listen, I know this is hard for you since it's the first time you've dealt with a possible scandal like this. You need to separate yourself from the situation. He's not Klaus, not your rival, or whatever the hell you call your relationship. He's a _story_."

"A story," Caroline breathed. Katherine nodded back at her.

"He's a story. Just remember that."

Caroline nodded, biting her lip as she stared down at Klaus' birth certificate. Her heart was screaming to grab her phone and email Klaus to ask him to meet her, but her head was repeating the words "a story" over and over.

"Where do you think Ansel is now?" Caroline muttered. Katherine turned back to the computer, hitting a few more keys.

"Dead."

"What?" Caroline gasped. Katherine pointed to the screen, highlighting Ansel's name with the mouse.

"This is his death certificate and his autopsy report. He died in 2000 from a heart attack."

"Oh wow," Caroline breathed.

"Yeah," Katherine trailed off. "Wait a minute."

She pulled herself up closer to the screen and gasped.

"What?" Caroline exclaimed, poking Katherine's shoulder.

"This doesn't make sense. He died of a heart attack but the autopsy said he had a major head wound at the time. Like his head was bashed in with a brick or something."

"Like he was _murdered_?" Caroline dared to ask, her voice quiet with shock. Katherine didn't respond and the pit in her stomach grew.

"This just got ten tons more creepy," Katherine whispered hauntingly.

"Do you think it was Mikael?" Caroline asked. Katherine shot her a look.

"Well, now I am!"

"Oh my God," Caroline groaned. She covered her head with her hands, feeling them shake.

"I need a drink," Katherine murmured. Caroline nodded numbly.

"I just wanted to stick it to Klaus," Caroline mumbled. "I didn't want to find out that his possible step father may have murdered his possible birth father."

"What a soap opera," Katherine remarked and Caroline let out a dry chuckle.

"Isn't it always with big families like that though?"

Katherine raised her eyebrows and nodded, conceding her point. She turned back to the computer and printed out the death certificate before clicking back to Google, typing in "Ansel Erikson."

"The plot thickens," Katherine continued, scrolling down the page. "What are the odds that he had a heart attack on the 5th floor of the Mikaelson Corporation building? Outside in the hallway."

"What's on the fifth floor?" Caroline asked.

"Mikael's office," Katherine breathed and Caroline sighed.

" _Shit_ ," she hissed. "Seriously? How obvious is this?"

"Apparently, Mikael was out of town. The only one on the floor were the anonymous caller who noticed him on the floor. It seems likes the head wound part was covered up," Katherine read off the webpage.

"Of course it was," Caroline growled. Her phone rang, startling both of them. She snatched her phone, heart leaping at the name who was calling.

"Fuck, it's Klaus!"

"Well, you can't answer that now!" Katherine warned.

"If I don't, then he'll know something is up!"

"Caroline, he knows you hate him. He won't even notice,." Katherine chastised, rolling her eyes. Caroline glared at her before answering.

"This is Caroline."

 _"Hello_ _,_ _sweetheart, I was afraid you wouldn't pick up."_

Caroline rolled her eyes, finding her annoyance at him seep back into her. "It's Caroline. What do you want, Klaus?"

" _I was calling to speak to you about the press conference next week_."

"What press conference? And how many times have I told you to lose my number? I thought I made that clear last night." She lifted her eyes to the ceiling, exhaling in annoyance.

" _We had a little spat. I'm over it already."_ She could tell he was smirking through the phone.

"Oh, well I'm not," Caroline replied primly, hearing him chuckle through the phone.

 _"How can I acquit myself?"_

"You can either hang up, or tell me why the hell you called so I can hang up afterwards."

Katherine, who had been listening quietly at the conversation, raised her eyebrows as she wrote something on a piece of paper, showing Caroline.

 _I CAN FEEL BOTH OF YOUR HORMONES THROUGH THE PHONE_

Caroline threw her pen at a smirking Katherine.

 _"There is a press conference for the museum downtown next Wednesday at 2:15 and I was hoping you would accompany me."_

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What's the catch? Are you going to somehow steal my press pass again to humiliate me?"

Klaus chuckled again, the sound resonating through Caroline's chest.

" _Think of this as an apology article peace offering_ ," Klaus said, the amusement in his voice.

"I don't trust you," Caroline said bluntly.

 _"I don't blame you. But I think this will help me get into your good graces."_

"As if you could get into any of my graces," Caroline muttered.

"He may get into your panties though," Katherine interjected.

"Katherine!"

Klaus was laughing through the phone and Caroline groaned, running her hand through her hair.

" _Please, Caroline?"_

She stared off into the distance, thinking. Should she trust him? Better yet, can she allow herself to be around him while she knows all this potential life-ruining things about his family? His fathers?

"Fine, meet me here at 2pm. You will be paying for the cab and anything else that I might need. It's the least you could do for ruining my commissioner and mayor interviews."

 _"I did not-_

"Ahem," she interrupted.

 _That sounds fine, love. I'll see you then."_

"It's Caroline," she growled, "bye."

She hung up and tossed the phone on her desk, avoiding Katherine's knowing eyes.

"One of those days all that sexual tension is going to cause orgasmic explosions between you two. I just hope it's not during a press conference," Katherine teased, throwing Caroline a wink.

"That's a great pick up line, Kat. _Hey Klaus, your dad may have killed someone who was probably your real father. By the way, can we have lots of hot sex_?" Caroline mocked and Katherine shrugged.

"Hey, he'd go for it. I swear, he would probably kill to get into your pants anyways."

Caroline glared at her before reaching for her purse.

"Do you want to go to Happy Hour and have a girl's night out? I cannot think about the Mikaelsons, or Klaus anymore tonight."

"Hell yeah!" Katherine crowed. "What about Tyler?"

"His team has another deposition with the Salvatore brothers tonight and another with Elena Salvatore tomorrow," Caroline remarked, pulling out her lipstick to touch up her makeup.

"That little hussy played both brothers for years," Katherine sniffed, having previously been told about the case by Caroline.

"You know she kind of looks like you when I squint my eyes and tilt my head at her picture," Caroline remarked and she scoffed, getting up to leave.

"Please, like she has the sexual prowess I have."

"So modest," Caroline giggled, following her out the door, the Mikaelsons and Klaus far from her mind.

* * *

 **So thoughts? I know it was light on Klaroline, but we needed to get the plot going. I promise next chapter is literally about 5K of just Klaroline interaction.**

 **Please review and tell me what you guys thought! Reviews are the only feedback that I get on whether or not you are liking the story, if you have any thoughts on improvement or what you would like to see in the story.**

 **You can also always message me on tumblr at she-walked-away!**

 **Thanks again for all those who nominated me for the Klaroline Awards. I'm so grateful nd excited!**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Kaitlyn**


	5. A New Light

**Hey guys! Here is the next installment! I'm super excited about this one, it's one of my favorites :)**

 **Reminder: Don't forget to get your votes in for the Klaroline Awards! Everything is still ongoing, so don't forget to keep on voting for your favs :)**

 **Beta'd by my lovely Gail. Love youuuu and your relentless attempts to murder me with the chapters :)**

 **Dedicated** **to Sophie because I nearly gave her a heart attack this morning. Whoops :)**

 **See ya'll at the bottom!**

* * *

Wednesday afternoon came quickly enough and Caroline was waiting in her office a few minutes before having to go meet Klaus. He had sent her a text message earlier saying that he would pick her up in the Herald office, but she knew that he would never be able to get past Anna so she was planning on meeting him outside the building.

Plus, she really didn't want him to barge into her office when she was staring at pictures of him, Ansel, and Mikael.

She couldn't help it, but ever since her and Katherine's discovery last week, Klaus and his possible fathers had constantly been on her mind. Katherine had pulled some other resources and strings to get her more information and now Caroline had security reports from Mikaelson Corp from around the time Ansel "died" (possibly murdered). She spent the past few days going through reports, pictures, files, and hospital records, and all she did was end up more confused.

She was almost positive that Klaus' father was not Mikael, their blood types not adding up. But Ansel's health records, other than his death certificate and autopsy reports, were sealed. If only she could get her hands on Klaus' original birth certificate to see if it had been altered, then she would have something to go on.

Staring at the timeline on her computer, she exhaled loudly, blowing her bangs out of her face. She chewed on her bottom lip, making note of Ansel's date of hire for the Mikaelson family. Apparently, he was originally a security guard who was promoted to personal bodyguard after about 5 years, right after Finn was born into the family.

A soft knock came from her door and Caroline jumped, startled. Clearing her throat, she immediately shut her notebook.

"Yes?" she called lightly, throwing her shoulders back and pasting a fake smile on her face.

Klaus poked his head in the door, sending Caroline's pulse through the roof and a slight thankful prayer that he didn't barge in.

"Oh," she groaned, folding her hands across her chest (albeit nervously), "it's you."

Klaus grinned at her triumphantly before opening the door all the way and striding into the office.

"Did I say you could come in?" Caroline asked, tilting her head to the side. "And how did you get past Anna?"

Instead of answering, Klaus dropped into the chair across from her desk and set a Starbucks coffee cup on it, pushing it lightly towards her.

"What's this?" she asked, arching her brow at him.

"It's a drink. Maybe you've heard of it? Coffee?" he teased, smirking at her amusedly. She rolled her eyes before warily picking up the cup.

"You didn't poison it did you?" she asked cautiously, bringing the cup to her nose before sniffing it lightly.

Her mouth began to water when she smelled the delicious hazelnut scent wafting from the cup.

"Think of it as part of the peace offering," he replied, sipping from his own cup.

She looked at him suspiciously before taking a tiny sip of the drink. She moaned blissfully at the taste, her eyes rolling back in delight. Taking a bigger sip, she flushed slightly at the amusement in Klaus' eyes.

"That good, huh?" he teased and Caroline chuckled slightly, putting the cup back on her desk.

"How did you know how I took it?" she asked, running her tongue over the top of her lip to lick the tiny coffee droplets off it. She ignored the way his eyes darkened slightly as they followed the motion of her tongue.

"We've been attending press conferences for years. Anybody knows that two creams, one sugar and a shot of hazelnut instantly puts you in a good mood," he shrugged, taking another sip of his drink.

Caroline studied him curiously, slightly touched at his attention to detail about her coffee. If she didn't know what a jackass he was, she'd understand why so many women found him attractive.

Klaus was actually kind of thoughtful.

In his own, asshole way.

 _He's a story Caroline_ , she reminded herself. No need to get too friendly.

She noticed the tea bag string hanging out of his cup and nodded towards it.

"Tea?"

He nodded, letting a rare genuine smile flood across his face. "Let's try to make sure it stays in my cup this time and not my lap."

She found herself smiling back at him, the memory of their first meeting flashing before her eyes.

"No promises," she teased, causing the smile on his face to grow. Caroline caught his eye, the amusement in them causing her stomach to swoop unfamiliarly. Breaking the eye contact, she cleared her throat uncomfortably.

Good job, Care.

"So, you never told me how you got past Anna. She's under Jenna's direct instruction to never allow someone from the Star, let alone you, into the Herald's office," Caroline mused, getting up to avoid looking at Klaus again.

"Contrary to popular belief, women actually do find me attractive," Klaus smirked, and she rolled her eyes.

And he's back.

"Must be blind," she shot back, causing the smirk on his face to widen.

She walked around to where he was sitting, grabbing a fresh notepad from the shelf next to his chair. "Ready?"

He stood up quickly, Caroline whirling around to grab her recorder off her desk. She accidentally smacked into his chest, his hands immediately reaching out to steady her. She found herself gripping his shoulders, noticing how extremely close his face was to hers. His firm chest felt good against her soft curves, the heat of his skin seeping through his thin dress shirt.

"Alright?" he muttered quietly, steadying her. She glanced up at him through her thick lashes, exhaling gently.

Blinking down at her, Klaus' tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip slightly. She shamelessly looked at his plump, raspberry lips and wondered briefly what they would feel like against hers. Snapping her eyes up to look anywhere but there, she met his gaze, his blue-green eyes meeting her blue ones. Biting her bottom lip softly, Caroline gently released her grip on his shoulders.

"Thanks," she whispered, steeping backwards. He nodded somewhat numbly.

"We should go," he murmured quietly, reaching to grab her coffee off the desk before turning around to leave.

She let out a huge breath, reaching for her recorder. Noticing her hands were shaking slightly, Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Story, story, story," she chanted under her breath, squeezing her hands into fists before relaxing them.

He startled her.

That was all it was.

"Ready?" he called from the hallway. She ignored the slight twist in her stomach from the sound of his voice.

Damn British accents.

* * *

"So, uh, how's Lockwood?" Klaus asked, nodding at the ring on Caroline's left hand. They were finally in a cab on the way to the museum press conference and the tension in the car was so thick that you would need a sledgehammer to cut it. She glanced down at it, fiddling at it a little with her thumb.

"He's great. I'm great. W-we are _so_ great," she babbled, taking a sip of her coffee. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, but didn't say anymore.

"He's been really busy lately with the Salvatore case, so I haven't been able to see him that much lately, but he told me that everything was just about wrapped up," she continued, looking out the window as she watched traffic rush by.

"The Salvatore case?" The confusion in his tone caused her to snap her gaze over to him.

"Yeah, do you know them?" she asked.

Klaus nodded, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I do. My sister dated Stefan Salvatore for the longest time. I thought that case was wrapped up weeks ago."

Caroline shook her head. "No, Tyler told me that it was still ongoing."

"That's not what I heard," Klaus replied, shrugging. "I ran into Damon Salvatore the other day and he told me it was finished."

"Well, he must be mistaken. His end might be done, but the rest of the paperwork isn't," Caroline sighed. "Tyler's been working day and night on that case. Apparently Elena Salvatore is quite a piece of work."

"Must be," Klaus mused, his tone conveying his disbelief at what she was saying.

"You think my fiancé would lie to me?" she asked. He didn't answer and she scoffed. "I'd believe him before I would believe you or any Damon Salvatore."

Klaus' jaw tightened and he just pursed his lips, looking out the window. She glared at him in annoyance and huffed as she looked out the other window.

The rest of the ride to the museum with filled with awkward silence, even the cab driver was more than happy to let them out. Klaus held the museum door open for her and she walked past him, sticking her nose up in the air haughtily.

"Sweetheart, this way," he gently took her elbow to tug her to the side, all thoughts of their disagreement seemly evaporated from his mind. She yanked her elbow back and sent him a dirty look.

"It's Caroline," she bit out and he just smirked at her. She growled in frustration, her good mood tarnished by the recent argument.

"Then lead the way," Klaus remarked, gesturing her forward with his arm. She threw her shoulders back and stalked towards the room where she assumed the press conference was taking place. Klaus followed her at a much slower pace, his gaze burning the back of her neck.

When she arrived at the room, she noticed that it was empty. There were no reporters, cameras, podiums, or chairs to be seen. She looked back to see Klaus chuckling at her, and she shot him a dirty look.

"I swear, if you lured me out here just to embarrass me, I will cut your dick off so fast that-"

"This way, love," he chuckled, gently leading her over to a room the opposite way they came. She huffed, her cheeks tingeing in embarrassment as she followed him.

"I sincerely hope you let me keep my external extremity," he whispered, almost seductively into her ear. She shivered slightly as his breath tickled her neck, causing goose bumps to pop up on her skin. "It's a very important appendage to me."

"It's because you think with it all the time," Caroline shot back, smiling a fake charming smile at him. Instead of being offended, he just grinned back at her. They entered the room where the press conference was being held, flashing their press passes at the person checking the door. Caroline mentally smacked herself for not noticing the buzz of people standing around outside earlier instead of walking to the complete opposite side of the museum.

Placing his hand on the small of her back, he lead her over to a table of fellow journalists, some Caroline had worked with before, and some new faces. They talked with them briefly before the press conference director came out and Klaus led her to their seats.

The press conference was held by the museum director, an older lady by the name Ayana. She was announcing the opening of a new wing in the museum, one that would feature just Chicago's own artists. The older woman spent a few minutes discussing the wing and its pending opening before asking for questions. When scrawling down notes in her journal, Caroline noticed Klaus in the corner of her eye. He wasn't taking any notes and she didn't see a recorder or anything.

He was fucked if he thought she was going to give any notes to him she thought, haughtily to herself.

* * *

Sooner than later, the press conference was over and she was putting away her stuff, making sure that her recorder was off and her notes packed carefully into her purse. Klaus was uncharacteristically patient when waiting for her, taking her gingerly by the arm over to the reporters who were crowding Ayana for an interview.

"Ayana!" Klaus called to her, the older woman's eye widening in recognition.

"Niklaus Mikaelson, is that you?" the older lady laughed, pushing past the journalists to pull the British journalist into a hug.

Caroline caught his eye over the woman's shoulder, mouthing " _Niklaus?"_ at him with a grin. He shot her a glare, causing her to giggle before he detached himself from the older woman.

"Son, where have you been? How is the family?" Ayana questioned, Caroline turning away to roll her eyes.

How many people does this family know?

They conversed quietly, Ayana taking a motherly approach to Klaus, fussing over him and his clothes. Caroline peeked down at her phone, starting to begin to think that this was about to turn into another Marcel incident. She looked at Ayana, wondering exactly how close the woman was to the Mikaelson family. She could always look into her too.

"And who is this?" Ayana's voice cut into her thoughts, noticing the older woman nodding towards her with kind eyes.

Caroline smiled, offering her hand. "Caroline Forbes from the Chicago Herald."

"Yes, this is the woman I was telling you about," Klaus cut in, placing his hand on her lower back. She sent him an alarmed look, almost afraid to ask what he had said about her.

"Ah yes! The reporter! Klaus has told me all about you," Ayana smiled.

"All good things I hope," Caroline chuckled weakly, wishing desperately she could elbow Klaus right into his smug smirk.

"Oh, many good things," Ayana said kindly. "He's always raving about your opinion pieces in the Herald."

"He is?" she asked, wrinkling her forehead in confusion. She glanced over at Klaus to see him shrugging with a sheepish smile.

"Indeed. What do you say, Caroline? Would you like an interview?" Ayana asked.

She looked over at Klaus and he was nodding encouragingly, motioning towards Ayana. "Go ahead, love. I'll wait."

"It's Caroline," she murmured, somewhat teasingly. "But thanks."

She sent him a brilliant smile, his lips turning up at the sight. She could hardly believe her luck as Ayana tugged her back over to the seats for the interview, grinning all the way.

"I don't know whether to slap you for scaring me or thank you," Caroline exclaimed after she and Klaus waved by to Ayana outside the museum.

"I'll settle for a thank you," Klaus smirked. "You can use your mouth to thank me any time."

Caroline wrinkled her nose at him adorably. "You are disgusting. Normally I would indeed slap you for that, but, currently, I don't hate you."

"You don't?" Klaus' expression brightened considerably.

"Nope," she turned back to him with a smile. "But don't expect any promises for any other days."

"I'll take it," he grinned. She found herself smiling back stupidly, forgetting that she was quasi-enemies with him for half a second. Klaus opened his mouth to speak and the ringing of her phone cut him off.

"Shit, sorry. It's a text," Caroline fumbled in her bag, locating the annoying device.

Biting her lip, she read the message from Tyler canceling their dinner date plans downtown due to a paperwork overhaul and _would you hate me if I missed our breakfast date in the morning too?_ Her stomach sank at the message, but her irritation at Tyler grew.

"Bad news?" Klaus interrupted her train of thought and she blinked up at him confusedly. "You're glaring at your phone."

"Oh," she muttered. "It's just Tyler. Looks like he has to work late tonight."

Klaus nodded, pressing his lips together in a thin line as he thrust his hands into his pocket. Caroline awkwardly shoved her phone back into her bag, hitching it back on to her shoulder.

"Would you mind joining me for dinner?" Klaus asked suddenly.

Caroline blinked at him, her stomach swooping at the rare, genuine look in his eyes. He looked almost nervous, like he was scared of his invitation getting rejected. She weighed her options in her head. On one hand, getting free food at a possible swanky place while possibly pumping him for information about his family. Downside was that it would be with Klaus. On the other hand, she could just go home, get in her comfy sweats, work on her article and eat takeout Thai food.

She was surprised by what option sounded more appealing.

"Sure."

"Italian okay?" he asked, licking his bottom lip somewhat nervously. She subconsciously watched the motion of his tongue, shaking her head when she realized it.

"Italian is my favorite," she answered, looking down at her feet. A grin grew across his face.

"I know."

* * *

Caroline looked around the fancy Italian restaurant, the dim lighting causing an almost romantic atmosphere inside the building. She looked over at her dinner companion, the handsome Brit furrowing his brow at the menu.

She could do this.

It's just Klaus.

Who was surprisingly the most charming version of himself right now.

She couldn't help but feel a little guilty though. She had accepted his dinner offer with less than honorable intentions. Whilst she was there for the free food that he had offered, she was also hoping to gather some intel about him and his family.

Which is why she was currently trying to smuggle her recorder under her napkin.

"Do you know what you want?"

His smooth voice cut into her thoughts and Caroline nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" She gasped, grabbing at her chest. He smirked at her in amusement as he nodded towards her menu.

"Find anything?"

She scanned down the menu quickly, picking out the first thing she recognized. "The uh, baked lasagna."

"Excellent choice," he murmured. "It's an old homemade recipe from the cook's grandmother."

"Do you take all your dates here?" Caroline quipped, almost teasingly.

He peeked at her over his menu and winked. "Just all the pretty ones."

Caroline flushed and inwardly chastised herself for being affected by him. "Good thing this isn't a date then."

There was a pause and Caroline thought he didn't hear her and then- "Yes, good thing."

She tried to ignore how resigned his voice seemed to sound.

The waiter eventually came and took their order, dropping off the wine that Klaus had requested when they were seated. Once the wine was poured and the silence was deafening, Caroline snuck a peek down at her napkin to make sure that her recorder was well-hidden and turned on.

Looking up, she found Klaus staring at her curiously and for a minute her heart pounded erratically thinking she'd be caught. But then their eyes met and he smiled slightly.

"You know I won't bite, sweetheart," Klaus chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. Caroline smiled meekly before reaching for her own.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, taking her own sip. The bittersweet wine flavor bursted on her tongue and filled her senses, spreading warmth throughout her body.

God, he really knew his wines.

Klaus shrugged, leaning forward on the table on his elbows. "You just seem nervous."

"I'm not," Caroline snapped back quickly, inwardly cringing at how shrill her voice sounded. Klaus raised his eyebrows at her and she automatically took another gulp of wine.

"I just...I'm curious," Caroline began. "You've spent the past few years being the biggest jerk-off to me. And now you're acting...perfect, which is so beyond annoying that I can't even look at you."

Klaus chuckled, obviously inwardly pleased at himself. "I have my reasons."

"Reasons for being nice or for being annoying?"

"I wouldn't say annoying per se," he began, Caroline cutting him off with a look. He pursed his lips into a wry smile and shrugged.

"Okay fine, I haven't been that great to you," Klaus conceded.

"That's a bit of an understatement," Caroline shot back, smiling slightly at the sheepish look on his face.

"I can't help that I'm competitive, love. It comes with the big family."

"It's Caroline," she reminded him. Her stomach flipped over when he mentioned his family. Maybe this was him giving her an unintentional hint to talk about his family.

"Big family, huh?" she continued, inadvertently glancing down at her napkin-covered recorder.

Klaus took another sip of his drink, nodding as he swallowed. "Two parents, six children."

"Wow," Caroline played dumb. "Must have been a house full."

"Mix in the paparazzi because of Mikaelson Corp and then you have a zoo," Klaus joked, causing Caroline to giggle at the visual.

"So, paparazzi then. Must have been insane growing up," Caroline started, very aware of how her hands shook when she lifted her wineglass to her lips. She lifted her other hand up and touched the napkin covering the recorder nonchalantly, relieved it was still on.

Klaus studied her with an unreadable gaze. His eyes had darkened considerably since they began discussing his family, but now they were a deep stormy blue.

"Yes, my parents had to get a few bodyguards," he continued, cocking his head to look at her somewhat thoughtfully.

Caroline nodded, pressing her lips together in a thin line. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Almost like he was just waiting for her to drop a bomb on him. His eyes had a strange glint to them, and then he glanced down at the napkin where the recorder was.

Fuck.

He knew.

Caroline was at a loss for words, the unreadable look in Klaus' eyes starting to become clearer.

He was angry.

Pissed.

"You know," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Klaus glared at her, reaching across the table and yanking the napkin off the recorder. Her face flushed and her heart dropped.

"Of course I know," he snapped, his eyes glittering with anger.

"Napkin over the recorder," he muttered, almost to himself. "I invented that trick."

Caroline winced as he balled up the napkin, throwing it down on the table. "What's the story?"

She shook her head, reaching for the recorder and switching it off. This wasn't something she would want to remember.

"Caroline, what is the story?" he repeated tersely. She was almost sad he didn't call her by one of his annoying pet names.

"It's you," she answered hollowly. "Jenna wants to expose Mikaelson Corp to get the paper publicity."

Klaus growled under his breath, Caroline rubbing an unsteady hand down her face, wishing she could crawl under the table and live there forever.

"A tabloid article," Klaus muttered. "I expected better from you."

Caroline hated that he was right. She had expected better things from herself too.

"What did you find out?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

"I-I don't think you want to know," she muttered, glancing down at her hands. She felt a firm finger lifting her chin up, the touch sending a warm shock down her body. She met Klaus' gaze. His eyes were angered, but there was something else there.

It was hurt.

She wet her dry lips with her tongue, wishing Klaus was distracted by that and not glaring at her like she killed his puppy.

"There is a possibility that Mikael might not be your birth father," she confessed, noting that Klaus' eyes darkened. "I think he may have killed Ansel Erikson too. Ansel being-"

"My father," Klaus interrupted. "He is."

Caroline gaped at Klaus with wide, shocked eyes.

"You knew?"

Klaus chuckled sardonically, looking at her with disdainful eyes. "You think a man like Mikael would claim something that isn't his? Caroline, I've known since I was in elementary school."

"Who else knows?" Caroline asked, his eyes getting darker by her curious question.

"My entire immediate family. Who knows at the paper?"

"Just Katherine," Caroline muttered, casting her gaze down to her hands.

Klaus nodded curtly, his jaw tight with tension.

"Why doesn't the public know?" Caroline asked meekly, scrunching her face in confusion.

"No need to break up the happy home my mother had so lovingly crafted," Klaus replied, the sarcasm dripping off his lips.

"I'm sorry," Caroline whispered.

Klaus leaned in across the table, his dark gaze penetrating through her chest. "For getting caught or for my family?"

"Both," she whispered, shrugging slightly. Her stomach was twisting in knots because of the hurtful expression on his face. "This story wasn't my idea."

"But you still went through with it," Klaus shot back. "Even though it would compromise everything that you would have worked for."

Caroline didn't reply, his words resonating through her. "Jenna-"

"Who the hell cares about Jenna?" Klaus bellowed. "This is about _you_!"

"Why do you care so much about what I do?" she asked quietly, her voice hitching at the way he just seemed to slump in his chair at her question.

"I'm not hungry anymore," he muttered quietly. "I need to go."

"Klaus-"

He stood up, tossing a couple of hundred dollar bills on the table.

"Enjoy dinner, it's on me," he bit out, whirling around to leave.

She looked down at her hands, blinking rapidly at the onset of tears that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Why did he care about what she did?

Better yet, why did it bother her so much that she had hurt him?

* * *

 **Let's play, did you spot the canon lines? :) Please review and tell me what all you guys thought! I love reviews, they make my world go round!**

 **Also, check out my new drabble series Baby Talk if you're in the mood for some mindless fluff :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn (find me at she-walked-away on tumblr)**


	6. Things Left Unspoken

**Hey guys! OMG thank you so much for all the reviews on the last chapter! I was blown away by all the support! Slight confession: I'm a review whore, I just love them! Also, I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to reply to reviews from the last chapter, but I plan on doing that soon. I'm coming off 6 straight days of closing at my retail job and working in day at my other job so activities other than food, writing, and sleeping have been few and far between.**

 **I'm really enjoying all of ya'lls reactions to Forwood, most of you coming some conclusions about his odd behavior. Hmmmm...what is up with Tyler?**

 **Well, I hope you like this chapter! We get to see a little bit more into Caroline's thoughts and feelings about Klaus and the end of this chapter transitions to perhaps my most favorite chapter I've ever written in the history of all my fanfiction stories.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"You should have seen his face, Kat," Caroline whined, her face in her hands. "It was like I took his puppy, chopped it's head off and then drop-kicked it across the restaurant."

She was sitting in her office at the Herald, two days after the incident with Klaus. She took a personal day on Thursday citing a headache, when in actual truth, she had been avoiding her office that was full of Mikaelson family research. The thought of returning to it the day after the Klaus incident, made her completely nauseous.

Katherine was looking at her sympathetically across her desk, her nose wrinkling at Caroline's puppy reference.

"First of all, that's a terrible example. I might need to pet an actual puppy now that the image is in my head," Katherine began, Caroline grimacing in response. "Second of all, what are you going to do now? Jenna is counting on you."

Caroline sighed, glancing down at her notebook. Ever since her disaster dinner with Klaus, she had been having major second thoughts about the whole article. In his own smarmy way, he was right. It wasn't just his life that would be ruined with something like his true paternity coming out, it was the company and his family. Call her crazy, but she didn't think his siblings deserved all that pain resurfacing. Plus, he was annoyingly right about her ethics. She wasn't a tabloid reporter, she was hard-working journalist who didn't rely on scandals and secrets for her articles.

"I don't know," she groaned. "I'm screwed with whatever I do."

"Call me crazy, but don't you hate Klaus?" Katherine asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Caroline shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I did. But-"

"But _what_? Caroline, what changed?"

She exhaled loudly, casting a side-eye at her notes from the museum press conference. She was reminded of how annoyingly charming Klaus had been that afternoon with bringing her coffee, helping her land that interview with Ayana, and inviting her to dinner.

Which, somehow he knew that Italian was her favorite food, but her own fiancé _didn't_.

She really didn't know how to explain it. It's like she saw the other side of him that he always claimed existed. He was genuine, thoughtful, and apparently a great listener since he knew things about her that _she_ probably didn't even know.

He wasn't exactly who she thought he was.

He was...more.

"I think there is more there than meets the eye," Caroline eventually concluded. "I mean, it was like he was a completely different person that day. His ego was in check, he was thoughtful, honest. I don't know. He was… different."

"Good different, or bad different?"

"Good," Caroline breathed out. "Which is bad because now I feel like a complete bitch for using his stupid attraction to me to gain information by agreeing to dinner."

"So now you finally agree that Klaus is attracted to you?" Katherine quipped with a Cheshire smile lighting up her face, completely ignoring her best friend's obvious distress.

Scoffing, Caroline glared at her. "I never denied it. Hello, he hit on me the very first time I met him. Right after insulting me, I might add."

Katherine shrugged slightly, acquiescing Caroline's point. "True, but this is the first time you haven't denied it without motioning that you're going to vomit."

"Baby steps," Caroline gestured, flippantly waving her hand to the side. Katherine giggled, propping her chin up on her hand.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked sympathetically, wrinkling her nose.

Caroline groaned, burying her hands back into her face. "So bad that I took off yesterday to avoid Jenna asking me for a progress report."

Katherine grimaced in response. "Well, at least she's at that conference until next week. No deadlines to deal with!"

Caroline hummed in response, flipping open her notebook as she propped her head up on her fist. She had written up the article on Ayana the night Klaus stormed out of the restaurant as a means of distraction. She'd emailed it in late that night before promptly curling up in bed with Netflix and chocolate bars. Her opinion article was long completed, and Jenna had given her special instructions over the last week to ignore any fluff pieces. Her concentration was to solely spend time researching and digging up information on the Mikaelson family.

The thought of discovering anything else made her slightly queasy.

"I'm bored." Katherine sighed, picking at her nails. "It's Friday and we have the weekend off. Why the hell are we still here?"

Caroline smiled slightly, looking at her calendar to check her next deadline. She was inwardly praising the brunette for the change in subject. "Because we have jobs and articles to work on."

"Please, you wrote your articles for this weekend all last night. Don't even deny it, you little overachiever," Katherine commented, giving her a sly smile.

Caroline pursed her lips together, raising her eyebrows innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Katherine threw the blonde journalist a knowing look, causing her to lift her eyes to the ceiling. "Fine, I sent them in this morning when I got here."

Giving her a satisfied smirk, Katherine leaned back in her chair propping her hands behind her head.

"Girls night? There's a new club on 77th Street I want to try."

Caroline had began shaking her head "no" before Katherine could even finish getting the words out. "Can't. Date night with Tyler."

Katherine pouted at her grumpily. "Cancel, he always seems to."

"Excuse you." Caroline scoffed. "He is busy with this Salvatore case at work and it's been taking a lot of his time."

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the blonde suspiciously. "You're making a lot of excuses for him lately."

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Kat. He's just busy."

"You'd figure he'd pick getting laid over dealing with cranky old people," Katherine quipped.

"Katherine!" Caroline chastised. "That is none of your business."

She shrugged back in response. "You're my best friend, your sex life or lack of it monitors your moods."

Caroline wrinkled her nose at her. It had been a while for her and Tyler, especially after she had avoided morning sex last week. However, she didn't think her attitude was _that_ different.

"You're so crass, Kat," she huffed, getting up to put the Mikaelson research in her filing cabinet. She unlocked the top shelf and dropped all the files in there. Out of sight, out of mind.

"I'm just being honest," Katherine claimed, twirling a curl around her finger. "Maybe you should call up Klaus and ask him for some anger sex. I'm sure he could ruffle your feathers a time or two."

"Katherine!"

"What? It's a suggestion," she blinked up at her blonde friend. "God, Care. You're really turning red."

Caroline blushed harder at that. It's not like she was _that_ desperate for sex. She and Tyler were going through a dry spell. And it had been a while. That's all. It's not like she had thought about what sex with Klaus Mikaelson would be like.

Okay, maybe in passing.

And maybe last night when she kept picturing the disaster scene in the restaurant.

Or the small moment in her office before the press conference.

Those damn dimples were just so charming to look at. His lips were so plump, and delectable. Sometimes she may accidently fantasize about biting them. Especially more often since Wednesday night.

It's human nature.

"I'm sure all of the unattached women he surrounds himself with are keeping him busy," Caroline suggested, vaguely wondering if Katherine would think turning the AC on would be suspicious. Her office was getting slightly warm.

Katherine brow arched as she watched Caroline discreetly fan herself with her journal but didn't say anything.

"Why don't you go for him if you are so sure the sex is good?" Caroline asked, ignoring how her heart seemed to clench at the thought of that.

Katherine flipped her hair, nonchalantly shrugging. "I'm waiting for Elijah Mikaelson."

Caroline giggled at Katherine, who smirked back in response. "You haven't even met him, Kat."

"Oh, I don't need to meet him to know he'd be great in the sack," she smiled suggestively, Caroline wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"You talk like such a guy sometimes."

The brunette just shrugged, flipping her glossy curls over her shoulder. "What is _up_ with you Caroline? You didn't blush this much last year when you told me about the disastrous Role Play of 2014 with Tyler."

"Nothing," she protested shrilly, reaching up to feel her hot cheeks. "And I told you to never bring that up again!"

Katherine just narrowed her eyes back at her, reaching for her long forgotten coffee cup on the edge of the desk. Caroline briefly flashbacked to the chemically-charged moment by the filing cabinet with Klaus and her cheeks flushed harder.

"Girls night next weekend?" Caroline asked, clearing her throat as she tried to change the topic from the Mikaelsons and sex.

And sex with the Mikaelsons. Preferably away from Klaus.

Katherine pursed her lips, pouting slightly, cocking her head to the side. "Deal."

There was a pause, and Caroline sighed a breath of relief. Then-

"But just let me know if you need me to call Klaus for you later."

"Katherine!"

* * *

Caroline stared at herself in her bathroom mirror, waiting for Tyler to pick her up for their date. It had been a few days since she had last seen him, so she was looking forward to spending some alone time with her fiancé. Plus, it would be a great distraction from work and the elusive article that she had yet to decide on whether she would be able to continue.

She really needed to forget Klaus and how pissed he was at her off the brain too.

She tilted her head to the side, studying her date night outfit. She was wearing Tyler's favorite sleeveless red wrap dress that clung to her curves, the short hem showing off her long legs. On her feet were her favorite shiny black pumps, her lips were red and eyes darkened.

Tyler wouldn't know what hit him.

Personally, Caroline thought the dress was a little too conservative for her taste. It was a gift from Tyler's mom at Christmas two years ago. It had a somewhat high neckline and a high back, but Tyler loved it so she tried to wear it more around him.

She shrugged in the mirror, making her way to the living room to wait for him. He was running a little late, as usual. She impatiently checked the clock on the wall, wishing he'd hurry up. She'd been alone for the past couple of hours and the silence wasn't doing well to distract her from all the thoughts she was trying to avoid.

Sighing, she grabbed her clutch to double check that all of the necessity items were there, including extra lipstick and gum. Her phone let out a shrill ring, startling her. Her clutch went flying in the air, the contents spilling into the floor. Cursing under her breath, she grappled for her phone. Seeing Tyler's name on it, she immediately answered, hoping she didn't sound as breathless as she felt.

"Hey!" Caroline grinned. "Are you here yet?"

She crawled around her living room floor reaching for all the items that had spilled out, silently praying that Tyler wasn't right outside.

"About tonight," Tyler began. "Babe, I don't think I'm going to be able to make it."

Her shoulders instantly slumped, and she rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"Seriously, Tyler? It's been three days since I've last seen you and you've canceled every date in between," she snapped, glaring down at her carpet like it was at fault.

"Babe-"

"And you didn't even have the audacity to call half the time. You just texted me," she continued, her annoyance at him growing in her chest. "I'm your fiancée, Tyler, not a buddy!"

"Babe, I know," he interrupted. "I'm so sorry. But, Luke just called and Mrs. Salvatore is apparently having some sort of breakdown and it's causing a whole lot of issues between her and Stefan."

"Who the fuck cares?" she asked bluntly, her eyebrows narrowing. "You're a lawyer, not a shrink."

Tyler sighed patronizingly into the phone. "I have to go with Luke to calm them down. If they go to trial at each other's throats, then the case is lost."

Caroline continued to glare at her carpet, sure that her red dress was wrinkling from where she was perched on the ground. So much for quality time with Tyler.

"Fine, go," she bit out. "Since work is obviously more important than me and our lives together."

"Caroline, don't be like that."

She was being petty, but she couldn't bring herself to be concerned about it. "Seriously, I don't even care right now. It's obvious work is going to always come first, so go ahead."

"This case is almost over, I promise."

Caroline was eerily reminded of Klaus' side comment about the Salvatore case being finished, but she quickly pushed that out of her brain.

"Sure," she said shortly.

"I'll come by later?" he said, phrasing the statement as a question. She really wanted to snidely tell him "no," but that wasn't a productive way to deal with her future husband.

"Okay," she muttered. "Just call me when you're on your way."

He uttered a quick reply and then hung up, citing his need to head back to the office. She tossed her phone onto her couch with a huff, glaring at it all the way.

So much for spending a romantic, distracting, quiet date night with Tyler.

She groaned as she struggled to her feet, kicking off her high heels. Looks like it was going to be a lonely night on the couch for her.

Again.

But, then...

She grabbed her phone, hitting speed dial number 3 for Katherine.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," she chanted, hoping her best friend hadn't already started drinking or partying yet for the night.

 _"That bored already?"_ her best friend's voice infiltrated her ear. Caroline would have rolled her eyes at that, but she was already annoyed enough as it was.

"Guess who's plans were canceled?" she groaned.

Katherine scoffed through the receiver. _"What a dick. You sure he's not banging a little something on the side?"_

"Thank you so much for your confidence in my relationship," Caroline said sarcastically, looking into the mirror in her entry way. If he was going to blow her off, that doesn't mean she had to stay at home waiting for him.

She yanked out her shiny while gold hoops, fluffing her hair afterwards. With a quick change and a new lipstick color, she would be ready for a long night of partying.

Lord knows she needed it after this week.

 _"It's my job,"_ Katherine shot back. " _Want to talk about it?"_

"Not really," Caroline sighed. "But...are you still up for a girl's night out?"

 _"I'm on my way."_

With that, Katherine hung up, and she giggled into the receiver. Her mood instantly lifted, she moved back into her bedroom. Her brain was swimming with new outfit ideas, and she was looking forward to drinking and dancing with her best friend.

No Tyler, or Klaus, or Mikaelson family to worry about.

* * *

One hour later, Katherine and Caroline were standing outside Donovan's, the new club in Chicago. Both girls were dressed to impress; Katherine was in a skimpy burgundy bodycon dress, while Caroline wore a sequined black and gold skirt and a cream tank top with a fly away back. With a little flirting on Katherine's end, and some cash from Caroline for the cover charge, the girls walked into the new, flashing club.

"What do you want to do first?" Caroline asked, surveying the room. There was a throng of sweaty bodies bouncing to the loud bass beat, the strobe lights flashing along with it.

"Want to go flirt with the bartender for free drinks?" Katherine suggested. Caroline lifted her eyes to the ceiling as she grinned in spite of herself.

Flirting with the bartender was a Katherine specialty. The two girls hadn't paid for their own drinks since college. Making their way to the bar, they managed to snag two seats at the end of it. The blonde male bartender came up to them, his kind blue eyes sparkling through the dimmed club light.

"What can I get you two ladies?"

"I'll take a jack and coke and your name please," Katherine flirted, her eyelashes batting at him. The bartender pursed his lips at her humorously, and Caroline rolled her eyes in amusement.

"It's Matt, and I'm the owner." He grinned back, causing Katherine's eyes to widen.

She tossed her brown curls over her shoulder and gave him a brilliant smile. "Well then Matty Blue Blue, you better get me that drink soon, or I'll have to tell the manager on you."

Caroline rolled her eyes again and interjected Katherine's blatant flirting. "Ignore her, she just wants free drinks. Rum and coke for me."

Matt barked out a laugh as Katherine elbowed her in the ribs. The bartender moved to make the drinks, Caroline throwing an impish grin to Katherine's annoyed glare.

"What?" she asked. "You were being way too obvious."

"That was the point," she sighed impatiently. Caroline snickered, thanking Matt for her drink as he plunked it down in front of her.

"On the house," he announced, winking at Katherine.

"You're the best Matty Blue Blue!" she called, waving her drink at him. The bartender laughed in response, tipping his head at her.

Caroline made a face at her drink while Katherine blew him a kiss, tugging the blonde journalist off the bar.

"I don't know how you do it," Caroline shook her head, taking a long sip of her drink.

Katherine sipped at her own, licking her lips before responding. "It's a gift."

She chuckled, allowing herself to be pulled over to a relatively empty lounge area. The girls sat down on a couch, sipping at their drinks. The club was pretty full, filled with lots of people around their age. Katherine was flirtatiously making eyes at all of the men who looked their way, whilst Caroline studied the club. It didn't take long for them to finish their drinks and Matt brought over a tray of shots, bought by one of the many suitors that Katherine was nonverbally flirting with from the lounge.

A few shots and a couple drinks later, both girls were feeling pretty buzzed. Caroline stared off into space, her mind occupied by the events of the last week. She didn't know why she kept picturing the hurt look on Klaus' face when he found the recorder. The guilt in her stomach continued to gnaw at her, and she couldn't shake it off her mind.

"I cannot believe Klaus is pissed at me." Caroline bemoaned, throwing back a vodka shot.

Katherine raised her eyebrows at her in surprise. "That was random. Where did this come from?" she asked, sipping a new cosmopolitan.

"I mean, how dare he get pissed at me when he's been a total asshole for the past two years?" she continued, ignoring her best friend's confused look. "A free meal and a free coffee is hardly a good start to repairing our relationship!"

"Your relationship?" Katherine echoed, tilting her head to the side.

"Like I would be seduced by his charm! I'm too smart for that." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Fucking dimples."

Katherine broke out into giggles, leaning back into the lounge sofa. Caroline stared at her confusedly, narrowing her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

She continued to laugh, Caroline widening her eyes at how insane she was starting to look.

Clearly the alcohol was affecting her more than she knew. "It's j-just s-so funny!"

"What?" Caroline snapped, annoyed.

"You have spent the past day brooding over Klaus and his reaction to the article instead of being upset that your fiancé blew you off again for the third time this week," Katherine answered, a wry grin tugging at her lips.

"I have not!" Caroline protested irritably. "I'm more upset about Tyler than Klaus!"

"No, you aren't," Katherine told her, throwing her a knowing look and she ducked her head.

"It bothers me," she muttered, sipping at her gin and tonic.

"Why?" Katherine asked, looking at her in concern.

She was quiet for a minute, trying to convey why she felt so ashamed. The pit in her stomach that had formed at the restaurant just seemed to grow with every passing moment since then. The genuine smile during the press conference, the expression on his face at her agreement to dinner, the pain on it when he found her out. Hurting him bothered her more than she ever expected. All of it was just too much for her to handle.

And she couldn't understand why.

"I don't know," she confessed, biting her bottom lip. She looked up at her brunette friend who was studying her with an unreadable expression.

"I think you do," Katherine mused quietly, shrugging slightly. "But you don't have to figure that out right now."

Caroline sighed, tipping back her drink. The tart liquid burned down her throat, shocking her senses. She coughed a little, rubbing her chest a little with her hand. Katherine watched her amusedly before looking over her shoulder.

"Or maybe you can figure it out right now," Katherine continued, wiggling her eyes at Caroline. "Look who just walked in."

Caroline turned around, eyes widening as she took in the sight of Klaus. Her heart clenched slightly as she took in his form. He was wearing dark jeans, a grey henley, and his signature necklaces. He was surrounded by a few people, some Caroline recognized as his family from the pictures she'd found. The blonde girl was obviously his sister, Rebekah. She was holding hands with a dark-haired man that she didn't know. The other dark-haired man in the group was easily Klaus' brother, Elijah. The man was stiffly surveying the room, obvious distaste colored on his face. Klaus' eyes were skimming over the crowd, his raspberry lips fixated into a slight pout.

Caroline drew in a small breath, willing her heart to calm down. She tapped her fingers against her empty glass anxiously, slightly prompting him in her head to not look her way. Katherine bit her bottom lip suggestively at the site of Elijah and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Dibs on the older brother."

Caroline wrinkled her nose at that. "Have at it."

Katherine winked at her coquettishly. "Don't mind if I do."

With that, she got up from the couch and began making her way over to the Mikaelsons.

"Don't leave me alone!" Caroline gasped, reaching to tug her back to the couch. Her request was ignored as she watched her best friend continue to slink across the club to the front door where the family was still standing.

"Oh my God," she murmured, watching Klaus continue to study the room. "Please don't look over here, please don't look, please-"

Sucking in a low breath, she watched Klaus' gaze land on her. She swallowed heavily, looking down self-consciously before peeking back at him. For a minute, he watched her inquisitively, his eyes roaming over her form. Her cheeks reddened at the slight yearning on his face, her heart thudding with unknown emotion. Their eyes locked and his hardened in response, his mouth setting into a thin line. Throwing her a dark look, he turned away and stalked to the bar area as her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her hands.

This was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

 **Oh I hate to leave it there for you guys, but I had to! What are your thoughts on this chapter? What's up with Tyler? (Everything is not what it seems is all I can say about that), How are we liking Caroline's mixed feelings? Is it guilt or something more? What do you think is going to happen at the club?**

 **Thank you guys so so so much for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it more than you guys will ever know *hugs***

 **ALSO! Don't forget to get your votes in for the KC Awards! Voting ends Tuesday!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	7. Shut Up and Dance with Me

**Hello readers! Thank you all SO MUCH for your wonderful reviews, follows, messages, favorites! You guys keep me writing and feeding my muse with all your feedback!**

 **I want to thank you guys for supporting me through the KC Awards! I didn't win any of my categories, but it was still such an honor to be nominated :)**

 **I hope you guys like this chapter...it's my favorite so far!**

 **Thanks to Gail for the wonderful beta job :)**

* * *

"Come on, Nik, don't be such a buffoon. It's high time you got out and had some fun," Rebekah griped. She, Enzo, Elijah, and Klaus were all squished in the back of a cab on their way to some new club that she had heard about from one of the many Mikaelson Corp secretaries.

"I have fun all the time," Klaus protested, ignoring her disbelieving glance by staring out the cab window.

"Fun that isn't going to give you sexually-transmitted diseases," she quipped.

"Rebekah," Elijah reproached lightly. Klaus threw her a nasty glare, ignoring the muted chuckle Enzo had released.

"Even Elijah was easier to get out tonight than you were," she continued. "He's even more straight-laced than Finn."

"Excuse me?" Elijah cut in, tugging gently at his tie to loosen it. She pointedly gestured at his suit as if to prove her point.

Enzo placed a comforting hand on Rebekah's knee. "Darling, chastising him while insulting your other brother is counter-productive," he remarked. She glowered at him, pursing her lips while he grinned back.

"I'm just saying. Nik's had a real stick up his arse the past couple days and he's more intolerable than before," she observed, sliding her eyes over Klaus' sullen form.

Klaus rolled his eyes briefly, narrowing them at her. "You're so helpful, Bekah," he sighed, moving to look back out the window.

"I just want to know what crawled up your arse," Rebekah commented, continuing to chatter with Enzo afterward whilst ignoring both her brothers' obvious annoyance with the situation. Klaus concentrated on the bright city lights, his mind trying to distract him from what was really bothering him.

Caroline Forbes.

The blonde journalist had been distracting him for years, but never as much as these past couple of weeks. Her new engagement with Tyler Lockwood had thrown him for a loop. Personally, he and Elijah had heard nothing decent about the silver spoon-fed git that she was hell-bent on marrying. Not that he necessarily cares that much about her personal life.

That he would admit to anyone, that is.

He personally thought he cared way too much.

He'd spent all of last week trying to think of something to help make-up for all the times that he had "accidently on purpose" screwed up her interviews. Tired of arguing with her, no matter how beautifully flushing pink she turned during those times, Klaus wanted to start helping her move past the Herald. The interview with Ayana was the first stepping stone. Dinner started off so well; she seemed like she was having a good time.

Then he noticed the glint in her eye.

It was the same look she got when she was taking notes at a press conference (not that he watches that close). Then he noticed her hands twitching, the nervous ticking of her jaw, and the lumpy napkin.

He shut down towards her, regretting every single thing he'd done for her that afternoon. He didn't know who he was more angry at, her, Jenna, or himself for letting her get under his skin.

His sordid family history was a sore spot with him. Growing up the bastard child between the Mikaelson family matriarch and the bodyguard, Klaus was the odd man out when it came to the man who raised him. Mikael had made it clear growing up that Klaus was not his son, nor would he ever let him spend time with the man who had helped create him. His mother tried to overcompensate for her shortcomings, but when he hit 18, he left the family home and only kept in touch with his siblings and only seeing his parental figures during the holidays.

Propping his head up with his hand, Klaus continued to gaze outside the window. His jaw tightened when he thought of all the information that Caroline had gathered on him. Lots of the information was deeply personal, not something that he was quick to open up about. The fact that she of all people found out his deepest secrets, bothered him more than he was willing to show.

"Niklaus," Elijah interjected his thoughts quietly. He looked up at his dark-haired brother's concerned, inquisitive expression. "Are you all right, brother?"

Klaus nodded, "Ignoring our dear sister's nagging is a process that takes severe concentration."

Elijah lifted his eyes to the ceiling, not bothering to chastise Rebekah as she kicked Klaus discreetly with her stilettos.

* * *

Wincing at the deep bass sound, Klaus peered around the dark club. Rebekah had dragged them into the new club, Donovan's, citing the owner as an old high school friend of one of the Mikaelson's many secretaries. Club scenes were not his forte, preferring intimate bars and restaurants over the college-age scene. Skimming his eyes around the bar area, his gaze fell on a familiar flash of blonde hair.

Caroline.

Inwardly bemoaning his lack of luck, Klaus absentmindedly wracked his eyes over her lithe form. Her blonde curls were voluminously perched on her shoulder, the tight sequined skirt showing off her toned long legs. She was animatedly chatting with an attractive raven-haired woman wearing a tight bandage dress. When Caroline turned her body to the side, he got a flash of the pale skin of her lower back. Licking his lips subconsciously, he shifted his feet as his pants tightened a little bit.

She was stunning.

The brunette glanced in his direction, nodding towards him. When he saw her head start to turn towards him, he immediately averted his eyes amongst the crowd innocently. Rebekah and Enzo were murmuring behind him, something about getting a table. In a flash, Caroline's friend was making her way towards his group, her eyes trained on a spot next to him. Confused, he looked next to him to see Elijah innocently scanning through the crowd also. His older brother was oblivious to how the dark-haired woman was eying him predatorily.

He looked up, noticing a familiar pair of blue-green eyes looking in his direction. Roaming his gaze over her unabashedly, he felt a jolt when their eyes connected. She was watching him curiously, her face formed into an almost guilty look. Pursing his lips together, he set his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he looked away.

"Hey there, Handsome," the brunette purred towards Elijah, standing in front of his brother with a hand on her hip. Elijah's eyebrows shot up in surprise, as Rebekah let out a shocked giggle. His eloquent brother was slightly shell-shocked at the sight of the woman.

"Me?"

Klaus rolled his eyes.

Amateur.

"Yes, of course you. I'm Katerina Petrova, also known professionally as Katherine Pierce from the Chicago Herald," she flirted, peering up at Elijah under thick eyelashes.

Klaus' eyes hardened and he leaned in to whisper to his siblings. "Don't tell her anything you don't want published."

Rebekah gave him a confused look while Elijah cocked his head to the side, looking down at the petite woman. "Reporter?"

"Off-duty," she shot back, glaring at Klaus. "Besides, I don't mix business with pleasure."

She whirled back around to Elijah with a smirk. "Can I buy you a drink?"

He looked affronted at the idea of her buying him a drink. "Shouldn't the _male_ buy the lady a drink?"

Rebekah scoffed in Klaus' ear as Enzo chortled behind him. Obviously Elijah was as clueless as he had looked.

"Brother, when was the last time you interacted with a woman?" Klaus remarked, smirking at the dark glare his older brother sent him.

"I'm a 21st century woman," Katherine remarked, tossing her glossy curls over her shoulder. "But if you're not interested..."

She began striding away, the sway in her hips exaggerated. Elijah gaped after her, his mouth slightly hung open.

"Mate, are you blind?" Enzo asked. "The lady wants you to follow her."

Elijah looked dumbly back at Katherine, swallowing. He looked to Klaus mutely, his expression frightened slightly at the prospect of the vixen's interest. Klaus looked back, gesturing towards Katherine's form.

"Brother, if you let her leave, that will be your first and only offer of getting laid tonight."

Elijah's eyes widened and he immediately started after the raven-haired beauty. "Katerina!"

The Mikaelsons and Enzo watched the usual straight-laced Elijah unnaturally fumble after Katherine, chucking and shaking their heads.

"She will eat him alive," Rebekah remarked, taking Enzo's hand with a smile.

"Like a lioness," Klaus smirked, watching his brother interact with the brunette.

Momentarily distracted by his brother, he had almost completely forgotten about the blonde that had been occupying his thoughts earlier. Darting his eyes to the left, he looked for the familiar blonde curls, but was disappointed to notice that she was gone.

Inwardly cursing himself for caring, he nodded towards the bar.

"Drink?"

* * *

While she watched Katherine make her move on the clearly oblivious Elijah, Caroline moved her gaze onto the blonder brother. He was watching the exchange, clear amusement on his face. She recognized his younger sister, Rebekah, from her picture. She was affectionately whispering into a dark-haired man's ear that was standing with the group. He seemed far too close to Rebekah to be considered a family member, so he had to be a boyfriend of some sort.

Sipping on her whiskey sour, Caroline watched Katherine slink to the bar. The way Klaus' brother was helplessly staring after her, she knew she'd be on her own for the night. Gathering up her clutch and Katherine's, she began making her way to the bathroom.

Swaying slightly, Caroline studied her flush pink cheeks in the mirror. Her curls hadn't fallen yet and her makeup still looked almost perfect. She was almost pissed that she looked this good and Tyler had ditched her to work on some stupid lawyer case.

She stumbled slightly as she made her way out of the brightly-lit room. The alcohol had gone to her head rather quickly that night. If she didn't get any water in her soon, there would be hell to pay in the morning. She made her way to Katherine at the bar, pleased to see her friend and the formal Mikaelson brother getting along well. Katherine was giggling, flipping her hair over her shoulder as a rare gleam of pure happiness radiated through her eyes. Caroline smiled to herself, almost hating to interrupt the couple.

"Kat," she interrupted, catching the couple in mid conversation. They looked at her, almost surprised to notice that people other than them seemed to exist. She pressed her lips together and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry to interrupt but here's your purse. I think I'm going to head on home," Caroline rambled, weakly smiling at her friend's pout.

"Katerina, who is your friend?" the polite Mikaelson brother asked, cocking his head at her. He was looking at her with a kind smile, completely opposite of his brother (half-brother's) constant thrilling look.

"I'm Caroline Forbes," she introduced, sticking her hand out to shake his. " _Katerina's_ best friend."

She threw Katherine a teasing look, mouthing " _Katerina_?" at her whilst shaking his hand. Katherine just grinned back at her.

"I must insist you join us for a drink," Elijah ordered, raising his hand to signal the bartender.

Caroline started shaking her head before Matt could even look up. "Oh, no. I can't impose. It's been a really long day at the paper and-"

"The paper?" Elijah asked. "You work at the Herald too?"

Caroline shot Katherine a confused look. Usually Kat was more aloof with men she had just met. "Um yeah, opinion editor."

Elijah looked at her cryptically before realization dawned on his features. "Oh, you're that Caroline Forbes. Niklaus has told me all about you."

Caroline's gut filled with dread and her blood ran cold. "Oh yeah?" she asked, nervously tightening her grip on her clutch.

"Oh yes, he's constantly going on and on about how great of a writer you are," he continued, sipping at the newly refreshed scotch drink Matt had placed in front of him. Caroline looked at him in confusion.

"He has?"

Nodding, he looked around her and pointed towards a private lounge area. "He's over there if you want to say hello."

Caroline whirled around, her heart pounding ferociously as she connected her gaze to Klaus' blue-eyed one. He was perched next to his sister and her boyfriend on a couch, both of them too wrapped up in each other to pay attention to his obvious annoyance. His jaw was set, lips pursed as his stare seemed to burn holes into her. Darting her tongue out to lick her dry lips, she shamelessly looked down his lean form cursing his inability to look anything other than perfect.

"I don't want to impose," she muttered, turning back to apologetically smile at Elijah.

"Nonsense," Katherine winked at her, pressing a full drink into the blonde's hand. "Go tell them that we will be over there soon."

"But-"

"Go," Katherine uttered, pushing her towards the lounge. She threw her nastiest glare at Katherine who blew her a kiss in response.

Wobbling on her heels, slightly from the alcohol and mostly from her nerves, she made her way over to Klaus and his companions. His eyes had widened briefly when he noticed her walking his way, but his face had shifted into a cool mask. She reached the entrance to the lounge, awkwardly pressing her lips together in what she hoped was a kind smile.

"H-hi," she muttered, cursing the way her voice shook. Klaus continued to look back at her, his face void of any emotion.

"Who are you?" the blonde sister, Rebekah, asked abruptly. She unsubtly gave Caroline the onceover, her eyes lingering distastefully over her black heeled-sandals. Caroline felt like she shrunk a foot under her scrutinizing look.

"I'm Caroline-"

"Forbes," the dark-haired man holding Rebekah's hand finished in his lush accent. "I know you."

"You do?" she and Rebekah both asked incredulously at the same time. Rebekah sent her a sharp look before turning to look at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, you're that blonde journalist that Klaus is always riling up," the man continued, grinning at the glare Klaus was currently sending him. "He can't get enough of you, darling."

"Enzo," Klaus muttered darkly to the other man. Caroline shifted her eyes to him, surprised to see the slight annoyed blush spread across his face. Chewing on her lip anxiously, she turned around to see if Katherine and Elijah were following behind to save her.

They weren't.

She hesitantly twirled back around. Enzo was grinning at her whilst Rebekah was looking at her curiously. She didn't dare look towards Klaus, even if she could feel his heated glare wash all over her body.

"Right," Rebekah continued, cocking her head to the side. "Nik had mentioned you once or twice."

Caroline sighed heavily, running a hand through her blonde curls. "You are not the first person to say that to me these past couple of days," she muttered, mostly to herself.

"I'm Rebekah and this is my boyfriend, Enzo Augustine. Frankly I imagined you to be a little more overbearing, but the night is still young," Rebekah cut her eyes at her. Caroline's eyes widened and she scoffed.

"I can really see the charming resemblance between you and your brother," she narrowed her eyes at her, plastering a fake smile onto her face.

Klaus chuckled lowly, the sound sending her pulse into overdrive. She lifted her stare to his, the smile dropping off his face the minute their eyes connected. Rebekah continued to inspect her as Caroline attempted to resist asking if a urine sample would be necessary for the examination. She ignored the three pairs of eyes watching her and drained the glass that she was holding in her hand.

"Impressive," Enzo quipped, lifting the corner of his mouth at her. "Rebekah and I will get you another."

"Oh that-"

"Is totally necessary," the blonde woman smiled at Caroline, her lips plastered in a fake saccharine smile. The couple ignored her protests and got up to leave the lounge, not before ushering her into the couch next to Klaus.

She didn't expect them to come back anytime soon.

Klaus' back was rigid with tension as she plopped herself down next to him. Inhaling slightly, she was hit with a whiff of his delectable cologne. She'd really never noticed before, but he really smelled good, all woodsy and spicy.

"Hi," she muttered, quickly taking a peek at him out the corner of her eye. Klaus' jaw tightened in response before he curtly nodded.

"Hello."

She bit her lip, feeling incredibly awkward. This was probably the most quiet Klaus had ever been around her since she'd known him.

And that's saying a lot.

"Having fun?" she tried again, situating herself to where she could look at him directly. Klaus sighed, taking a gulp out of his drink.

"No."

Well that was helpful.

"Me neither. I'm not one for the bar scene but Kat loves it so we decided to have a girls night," Caroline rambled. "I'm not much of a dancer or anything but the free drinks are nice."

She threw him a tiny smile, her shoulders slumping as he just nodded his head once. Wrapping her lips around the straw of her empty drink, she sucked noisily at the empty glass as she peeked back at him. The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement briefly at the sound before settling down to a stoic glare. She sighed, crossing her legs as she propped her head up by her fist on the couch arm.

"Where's Lockwood?"

His question was so quiet that she almost didn't hear him.

"Don't know," she replied. "Busy with work like usual."

She glared down at her purse, just realizing that he had yet to text her about coming over or whether or not he was still working.

"Pity," Klaus bit out, draining his glass.

"Excuse me?" she asked, cocking her head at him. His tongue darted out to swipe at his bottom lip and her eyes couldn't help but follow the motion.

"Lockwood is a bloody fool if he'd rather spend time working than with his undeniably beautiful fiancee," he remarked, his dark gaze turning on her. She swallowed heavily, his heated stare causing goosebumps to breakout across her arms.

She was _so_ drunk.

"I need a drink," she offered up in response. He blinked, almost confusedly, before motioning for a waitress. Quickly ordering her another whiskey sour and him a bourbon on the rocks, he turned his curious gaze upon her.

"Why are you still here? Checking to find more family secrets?" he mused, a wicked glare in those deep blue pools. She rolled her eyes in response, leaning back against the couch.

"Listen, I know what I set out to do was wrong-"

He snorted into his glass.

"But," she continued, throwing him a sharp look. "You can't blame me for stooping down to your level. You've done stuff like that to me before."

"I hardly call writing an expose on my family and myself the same as messing up a few interviews, love," he bit out harshly, his eyes flashing with anger.

She scoffed, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder with a huff. "Oh please, I do one wrong thing and you're pissed at me. But it's okay that you do multiple annoying things to me? What kind of logic is that?"

Klaus didn't respond, continuing to stare at her with an unreadable gaze.

"You don't understand," he began. "But I did all of it for you."

"What?" she asked, baffled. "That's utter bullshit."

How is ruining past interviews, making assumptions of her skill level, and being an all around general ass bettering her?

"I may be drunk, but I'm not stupid, Klaus."

"No, you're not. You're incredibly smart, Caroline. That's why it irritates me."

She sighed loudly, collapsing against the back of the couch. "You aren't making any sense!"

Glaring at him angrily, she absently bit her lip. His eyes followed the motion briefly before trailing back up to her eyes. Looking at him pointedly, she raised her eyebrows in impatience. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to begin.

"Look-"

"Hey guys!"

Both Klaus and Caroline swiveled around, their eyes glaring daggers into the brunette journalist and her equally attractive male counterpart.

If looks could kill, Katherine would be dead and buried.

"Wow, you guys really can't get along can you?" Katherine mused, placing her hands on her hips. Elijah hummed in agreement, putting a warm hand on her lower back.

Caroline dropped her eyes to the floor, watching Klaus drain his glass out of the corner of her eyes at her best friend's comment. She forced a fake smile on her face and went to get up, swaying slightly from the alcohol she had consumed.

"This has been fun but-"

"Shut up, Care," Katherine interrupted. "We are going downstairs to dance and you're coming."

Caroline sputtered in disagreement, gesturing frantically with her hands. "You know, I think I've had enough for the night. Early day tomorrow. The apartment won't clean itself."

Rolling her eyes, Katherine laced her fingers around the blonde's wrist and tugged her forward. "Come on drunky."

"But-" Caroline protested. She looked behind her to see Klaus' being cajoled by Elijah to join them, his dark eyes flashing in annoyance. Her stomach dropped unexpectedly when their eyes met over her shoulder. Pushing her thoughts down, she passed by the waitress with her drink and snatched it up, throwing it down the hatch in one gulp.

Katherine cheered in response, both of them stumbling down the stairs to the dance floor. The area was filled with sweaty, writhing bodies, causing Caroline to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She noticed Enzo and Rebekah grinding in the middle of the floor, their faces pressed together and lost in their own world. The bass was pumping loudly and her ears were ringing slightly at the noise.

Katherine pulled her onto the dance floor, bouncing to the beat. Caroline rolled her eyes as her best friend teasingly rubbed against her.

"Come on," she shouted over the music, motioning towards the sweaty mob. "It's high time you cut loose."

Caroline looked around her, the crowd pumping her with adrenaline. She threw up her hands and began moving to the beat, giggling at Katherine's cheers. She swayed her hips playfully, dancing to the fast song. She felt a heated gaze on her back and she shimmied around to where she could see Klaus looking at her from the edge of the dance floor.

His dark eyes were watching her, raking over her body. She shivered at the heat she saw there, chalking it up to the amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. She continued to dance, training her eyes on his form.

She couldn't stop looking at him.

Biting the side of her lip, she closed her eyes and tipped her head back letting the beat carry her body. Turning around, she was happy to see Elijah join Katherine on the dance floor, even if the formal man was moving rather stiffly. She twirled, moving through the crowd towards Rebekah and Enzo who motioned her over. The blonde smiled slightly at her, turning to where she was facing Caroline. They danced for a little while, Enzo moving behind them.

"My brother is staring," Rebekah shouted over the music. Caroline's cheeks flushed, but she threw her hands up in the air and continued to sway with the music.

"Let him watch."

Rebekah let out a laugh, turning around and pulling her dark-haired boyfriend close.

That woman was going to give her whiplash.

The song changed, moving into a slower song. Looking around, she watched Katherine and Elijah with their arms wrapped around each other. Ditto with Rebekah and Enzo. Peeking at the edge of the floor, her heart sank slightly when she noticed that Klaus had disappeared.

Inwardly chastising herself for caring, she shook her head and began to leave the dance floor. A strong arm wrapped around her middle and she stumbled into a hard chest.

A very familiar looking hard chest.

"Allow me," Klaus murmured, wrapping both of his arms around her waist. She looked up at him, her heart racing in her chest. They looked at each other for a moment, their eyes connected. Caroline's brain was screaming for her to walk away but her arms had a mind of their own as they wrapped around his neck. He pulled her close up against his chest, and she let out a shaky breath. His scent was overwhelming and she closed her eyes to concentrate on breathing.

Their bodies swayed to the beat, both of them in refusing to look at each other. If she wasn't so confused, she would have laughed at the middle school dance-esque behavior She looked over his shoulder at Katherine, thankful that her best friend seemed to only have eyes for Elijah. Her hands tightened around Klaus' neck as the song hit the bridge. Klaus only pressed her more firmly against the solid planes of his chest. They continued to rock gently with the soft beat, both of them wishing and dreading the song to come to an end.

The beat changed into a faster song and Klaus moved to let go of her waist. She caught his wrist before she knew it and placed it back on her waist.

"Dance with me," she whispered, blinking up at him through her lashes. "Please."

If he was surprised, he sure didn't show it.

Boldly, his calloused hand pressed up against the soft bare skin of her back, sending electrifying shockwaves through her body. Her breath caught in her throat, the feel of his hands bringing goosebumps to her skin. She blushed furiously at her body's natural reaction to his touch, flushing even more when she felt _his_ body's reaction to their dancing. Biting her lip, she turned around to where her back was pressed against his front. He pulled her closer, resting his hand on her stomach as their hips moved together.

They danced in silence, Caroline staring at the wall to avoid looking at what was sure to be a knowing look from Katherine. Klaus was looking down at her blonde curls on her neck as if he was mystified by them. His hands stayed safely on her waist until they _accidentally_ made their way to smooth the expanse of her stomach. The warm feeling shocked her core and she jolted out of her Klaus haze.

Turning around, her forehead somehow ended up pressed against his equally sweaty one. His scent consumed her once again and she was drowning in him. She vaguely thought of Tyler and how she had never had such a potent, electrifying feeling dancing with him as she did right now with Klaus.

She laced her fingers into the curls on the back of his neck, sighing lightly in his face. Her eyes were closed, but he was looking back at her like her face held the secrets of the world.

She was stunning.

"I'm drunk," she whispered, her breath mingling with his.

"Me too," he exhaled. She opened her eyes, the gaze in them sending a jolt down his spine.

Their noses were touching and all it would take was one of them moving their lips a centimeter for them to meet.

"I'm engaged," she murmured, almost to herself as a reminder.

Klaus didn't say anything, his grip tightening on her waist. She thought he ignored it and then-

"I wish you weren't."

His words were like a cold bucket of water thrown over her. Her back stiffened and she drew her head away from him. His guarded blue eyes were slightly fearful as they looked right back at her. Caroline swallowed heavily, her tongue unable to find words to say. Her emotions and feelings were scrambled.

"I-"

His eyes gleamed back at her, a tiny bit of hope flashing through them. She was even more confused about him than she was before. She had spent the last two years thinking that her feeling of hatred between them was mutual, and now she didn't know what to believe. The tiny bit of hope and fear in his blue orbs made her stomach drop and her heart pound.

God, what is _wrong_ with her?

It's _Klaus._

Tyler is her forever after, no matter what these foreign feelings she has right now are trying to say. She just sees a different side of Klaus, the vulnerable side. The side that she always tried to convince herself didn't exist.

He was still looking at her, his heart pounding furiously through his chest against hers. Embarrassingly enough, hers was doing the exact same thing.

Licking her lips, Caroline drew in a shaky breath. "I think I need to go home."

Klaus' face froze for a half second before a cool mask slipped over it. "Are you sure?"

She tried to ignore the slight hitch in his tone. Nodding her head, she stepped back away from him. He let go of her, feeling cool air touch her bare back where his hands had rested. She strangely felt empty, his dizzying effect on her finally lifting.

"Thank you," she began. "For the dance."

He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. His lips were set in a thin line as he dropped his gaze to the floor, displaying a rare show of vulnerability. She opened her mouth to say something to him, anything. The words escaped her and she lost her nerve.

Calling out a meek goodbye, Caroline wheeled around and made a beeline for Katherine who was dancing very R-ratably with Elijah. Klaus' gaze was burning holes into her back, but she kept her head high and strode towards the brunette.

"Kat, I'm going to head out," she interrupted, sending a small apologetic smile to Elijah. Her friend blinked up at her and looked at her worriedly, pulling her to the side.

"You okay?"

Nodding, she forced out a smile. "Yeah, I just drank too much and it really just went to my head."

Katherine looked at her critically, nodding her head slightly. "Did Klaus say something or...?"

"Nope," the blonde responded hurriedly. "I just need to go."

Katherine still didn't look convinced and Caroline threw her a bright, fake smile.

"I'm okay. Promise."

"Let me go say bye to Elijah and-"

"Seriously, stay here. You've been dying to spend time with him and I'm fine," Caroline hastily replied. "I'll catch a cab and call you tomorrow."

"Fine," Katherine huffed. "You call me in the morning okay?"

"Promise," with that, Caroline hugged her quickly, waved politely to Elijah, and made a beeline for the door.

She had almost made it before she was intercepted by Rebekah.

"Leaving so soon?"

Forcing out a tiny smile, Caroline looked at the blonde. "Yeah, it's been a long night and I drank way too much."

Rebekah looked at her critically, almost like she didn't believe her. "You and Nik looked comfortable on the dance floor."

Caroline's heart raced and she drew in a breath to calm down.

"Yeah, well I'm engaged."

"Congratulations," Rebekah replied, shifting her eyes down to Caroline's ring. "I didn't know."

"Well, we just met," Caroline chuckled uneasily. The woman across from her smiled back, oblivious to her discomfort.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you. About time to put a face to the name," Rebekah offered, sticking her hand out.

"Same," Caroline agreed, a tiny genuine smile gracing her features. Rebekah had been a blast to dance with on the floor and if her sense of style was anything like what she was wearing that night, she and Caroline would get along well.

She called a quick bye to Enzo and hightailed it out the club door. She almost ran smack dab into the man she'd been trying so desperately to avoid. Klaus looked almost as bewildered as she felt, his blue eyes masking his shock.

"Fresh air?" she asked. He nodded, folding his arms against his chest.

"It was getting heated in there," he remarked, his slight innuendo not lost on her. She swallowed and threw her shoulders back.

"Yes, well goodnight," she nodded towards him, curtly steering around him. She heard his breath hitch as she accidentally brushed his shoulder as she passed.

She's drunk.

This doesn't mean anything.

Hailing a cab quickly, she refused to look behind her. She was almost positive Klaus was still watching her, whether because he wanted to make sure she was safe or because he just couldn't stop looking.

She knew the feeling.

Once home, Caroline was in a daze as she changed out of her outfit. She kept replaying her dance with Klaus over in her head, almost getting soap in her eyes when she washed her face because she remembered how his hand felt on her back.

She climbed into bed after taking a few Tylenols to offset her guaranteed hangover, her head still spinning with alcohol and Klaus' scent. It wasn't until she laid awake three hours later, that she noticed that Tyler never called or texted her that night.

What was more worrying is that she didn't seem to care.

* * *

 **Wow! A lot happened in this chapter! What did you all think? What did we think of Kalijah? Rebenzo? The Klaroline convo and dance? (which was my fav thing to write, like I'm super proud that it turned out like I wanted it to) Review please and tell me your thoughts! They really inspire me and keep me going :)**

 **Up next chapter...the hangover from hell and a white flag :)**

 **Until Next Time (follow me at she-walked-away on tumblr :))**

 **Kaitlyn**


	8. Waving the White Flag

**Hello everybody! Sorry this has taken so long, but last night we had no wifi within a 2 hour radius. It was soooo weird, and I felt soooo bad that I couldn't update because it was ready to go!**

 **Hope ya'll like the chapter, we are getting close to some major ACTION ;)**

* * *

Massaging her temples lightly, Caroline exhaled loudly as she stared at the Mikaelson file on her desk. It was the Monday morning after her and Katherine's club adventure and she still felt incredibly hung over two days later.

She'd spent the better part of Saturday camped out on her couch, dodging phone calls from both Katherine and Tyler. The latter finally barged in her apartment Saturday afternoon bearing gifts and apologies for missing their Friday night date.

She appreciated the flowers and the romantic gesture, but he was honestly a day late and she was really out of patience for him. But of course, she smiled and accepted his apology like the dutiful fiancée that she was.

Honestly, she wasn't sure how their relationship or marriage was going to work in the long run if he didn't care enough to put effort into it.

And she couldn't seem to bring herself to care.

At all.

That's what scared her the most.

There was a knock at her door, snapping Caroline out of her thoughts. Hissing slightly at the loud noise, Caroline called for the person to come in.

It was Katherine, looking just as hung-over and nauseated as Caroline felt.

"Is it possible to still be hung-over two days later?" Katherine asked, groaning as she slid into Caroline's chair across her desk.

Grimacing slightly at the intrusion, she nodded and reached for her coffee cup. "Totally. I feel like there is a stampede going on in my head."

Her coworker's head bounced up and down in agreement, squinting as she looked up at the blonde.

"Wow, Care, you look like shit," she commented, propping her hand up on her fist.

"Thanks, Kat," Caroline said dryly, pushing her blonde curls out of her eyes. Katherine studied her quietly, her lips pursed in thought.

"What's the matter?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Caroline took a sip of her coffee and hummed slightly at the hazelnut taste. "What do you mean?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunette woman leaned forward across the desk and looked at her with a knowing glare.

"I've seen you hung-over a million times. You're usually bouncing off the walls on day two. You have bags under your eyes, your hair is dirty, and your shoes don't match your outfit. What's wrong?"

Caroline scoffed in reply, folding her arms over her chest and avoided Katherine's gaze. The journalist continued to peer at her impatiently before her chestnut eyes widened in concern.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Did you and Tyler fight?"

Releasing a hefty sigh, Caroline shook her head in response. "No I'm okay. Tyler and I are fine for once. He came over on Saturday night with food and apologies and we spent most of the weekend together."

"Sounds sexy," Katherine smirked, winking. Caroline let out a chuckle.

"I wish, but I felt so hung-over that we never got to the sexy part."

 _And neither of us initiated anything._

Tsking disapprovingly, Katherine leaned back in her chair with a sly grin.

"Well, what about you?" Caroline smirked. "I seem to remember you dancing with a certain Elijah Mikaelson."

Grinning in response, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "A lady never kisses and tells."

Gasping mockingly, Caroline tossed a pen at Katherine who dodged it giggling. "Spill! And I want all the details."

"Let's just say that he knows how to definitely loosen up. Especially his hips," the brunette replied, winking suggestively to Caroline's disgust.

"Ugh, Kat, what happened to "a lady never kisses and tells?" she quoted, wrinkling her nose.

"I didn't say anything about kissing did I? And you asked for it!"

"Yeah, kissing! Not about how you rocked each other's worlds," Caroline groaned.

"And it was so delicious," Katherine responded, smirking.

Making a face, she turned to her computer and stared at the blank word document that was blinking back at her. She needed to write something, _anything_ about the Mikaelsons, but her fingers seemed to not function.

"Speaking of dancing with attractive Mikaelson brothers," Katherine piped up behind her. "Have you talked to Klaus?"

"You mean since I danced with him in extremely close quarters after having yet again another confusing showdown with him? Nope," Caroline replied, burying her hands in her face.

"You two looked cozy," Katherine remarked. Lifting her head up, the blonde shot her a glare.

The brunette lifted her hands and gave her an innocent look. "I'm just saying."

Sighing loudly, Caroline dropped her face back into her hands with a whine. "Let's just not go there."

"Mmkay," Katherine hummed, unconvinced.

As she sat there with her confused thoughts and feelings, Caroline came to a conclusion. All of her hang ups about the article were stemming from her guilty thoughts about Klaus. Yeah, he was an asshole 99% of the time, but he still didn't deserve to have all of his childhood pain and issues aired out in the media. It was very clear to her that his family was a sore spot for him, especially his past.

To air his dirty laundry like that would cause even more issues for him and his family. She'd be hurting people like Elijah and Rebekah, not to mention Klaus' little brother that was still in high school.

It just didn't seem worth it to stick it to him.

It didn't feel right.

She didn't want to hurt him, simple as that.

"I'm not going to do the article," Caroline said suddenly. Katherine's head popped up from where she had been playing on her phone instantly.

"What?"

"The article," the blonde gestured towards the computer screen. "I can't do it."

"Why?"

"Because it's not right. Klaus isn't a story. He's a human being. Yeah, he's a jackass most of the time, but he's still human," Caroline continued, staring off at the wall. "He doesn't deserve to have all this happen to him."

Katherine was watching her with a tiny smile on her face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she breathed out. "He had a shitty childhood. Who am I to air his business like some tabloid trash writer? I'm Caroline _fucking_ Forbes. I'm better than that."

She finished her rant, panting slightly. Her face was slightly red with emotion and the brunette journalist was grinning at her like a maniac.

"What?"

"I'm just-" Katherine shrugged, her lips curved into a smile. "I'm proud."

Wrinkling her forehead in confusion, Caroline sent Katherine a bemused look. "Proud?"

"Care, you're too good of a person to write what Jenna wants you to do. I knew that you wouldn't be able to, but I needed you to come to that conclusion by yourself."

"Why?"

Smiling somewhat sadly, Katherine looked at her friend and shrugged slightly. "Every writer is faced with a big challenge that compromises their morals. It's your decision to be true to yourself. And to your friend."

Caroline nodded, somewhat dazedly. Katherine, in her own twisted way, was right. It was her decision all on her own. She didn't want to hurt the Mikaelson family, no matter the cost. And her frien-

Friend?

Klaus?

"My friend?" she echoed, biting her lip uncertainly. "I don't know about that."

"Okay, maybe you're not 'friends,'" Katherine continued. " And you may never be. But you don't want to hurt him."

"His _family_ ," she interjected, biting her lip as she slunk down further in her chair.

Katherine tilted her head and looked at her thoughtfully, eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah, his family."

"Plus, you and Elijah are together now," Caroline gestured. "I don't want to cause any undue stress on your relationship."

Katherine snorted. "Please, stress relief is the best process. Especially with those hips of his."

Grimacing, she made a face. "I didn't need to hear that. God, Kat, where's the filter?"

"On the floor next to Elijah's bed," she winked with a saucy smile.

"Ew," Caroline murmured. She returned to her computer to close out the blank word document, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders in kind.

"Who is going to tell Jenna?" Katherine piped up. "She's not going to let this go."

Her shoulders slumped in response. The brunette was wholly correct. Jenna was hell-bent on getting this Mikaelson expose out to the presses. She'd been avoiding her boss' emails as of late asking for an update on research. Jenna was currently off at a journalism conference in New York for the next week, so sooner or later, Caroline would have to tell her that the article was a no-go.

"I don't know," she sighed, falling back into her office chair. "She's going to put me back on toilet paper writing duty."

"Probably actual custodial work," Katherine supplied, making a face at the wall. Caroline nodded absently, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Screw it. If she fires me or puts me on bathroom duty for staying true to myself, then the job isn't worth it," she shrugged, ignoring the tiny pit in her stomach that was convulsing at the thought of being fired.

"That's the spirit!" Katherine cheered. "Drinks after work on me?"

Caroline clapped a hand over her mouth, suddenly feeling nauseous at the mention of drinking. "Are you crazy? I still have trouble walking in a straight line from Friday."

"Yeah, that was a long shot," Katherine grimaced, reaching up to massage her temples. "Your epiphany distracted me for a few minutes."

Chuckling to herself, Caroline reached over and picked her phone up. Her thumb briefly hovered over Klaus' name in her contact list before she let out an annoyed sigh at her hesitation and pushed it.

Katherine smirked at her knowingly, dodging the glare Caroline threw her way. The phone rang three times before the line was picked up.

" _This is Klaus."_

The breath Caroline had been holding whooshed out at the sound of his smooth British lilt. Her heart thumped loudly and her face immediately went crimson.

Damn British accents.

Ignoring Katherine's giggle, she turned around in her chair to where she was facing the wall to conceal the tomato that was her face.

"Hey, Klaus. It's me."

" _Caroline."_

The way her name just seemed to roll off his tongue caused a warm sensation in her stomach and she swallowed heavily.

"Is this a bad time?"

" _Working. What can I help you with Caroline?"_

She inwardly cringed at the clipped tone he was using with her.

"I was wondering if you would have lunch with me today."

She heard Katherine's derisive giggle and bit her lip to keep from whirling around. There was a brief pause on the phone and-

" _When?"_ he asked shortly.

"Today," she replied, checking her computer clock. "Say in about two hours?"

" _Text me the address and I'll meet you there."_

There was a beeping noise and she pulled her phone away from her ear, noting the "call ended" screen.

"Well, that went swimmingly," she sighed, tossing her phone on the desk. Katherine was staring at her with a wry grin, a glint in her eyes.

"What?" she asked. "You have that evil 'I know something you don't' look."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Katherine looked down at her nails. "Oh nothing, just intrigued by the fact that you just made a date with Klaus and you're totally blushing about it."

"I am _not_ blushing. And it's not a date. I'm engaged."

She looked at her pointedly and Caroline rolled her eyes, feeling her warm cheeks with her hands. "It's that damn accent of his."

"Oh, I totally get that. You should hear Elijah's in the throes of pas-"

"Oh my God, Katherine!" Caroline clapped her hands over her ears and scrunched her eyes shut.

"Enjoy your date," Katherine threw at her teasingly, getting up to walk to the door.

"It's not a date," she protested, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder with a scoff.

"Whatever you say," her friend chirped, smirking in victory as Caroline glared at her.

"Goodbye, Katherine," she enunciated, pursing her lips in annoyance.

"Remember to use a condom!" Katherine giggled, ducking out of the office as Caroline launched a notebook in her direction.

"You suck!"

* * *

Nervously fiddling with her water glass, Caroline checked the sidewalk briefly before looking at her phone again. She was seated, waiting for Klaus on the patio of a restaurant in downtown. Arriving a full fifteen minutes early to the restaurant, she figured that if she saw him before he saw her, she could psych herself up to talk to him.

And to calm the hell down.

It was about 15 minutes past when she was supposed to meet him, and there was no sign of him outside the restaurant. The waiter had dropped off some coffee, Caroline having requested it when she first sat down. Klaus previously brought her coffee as a peace offering, so she thought it was time to return the favor.

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, she tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. She waved off the waiter who came to refill her water glass, pressing her lips firmly together in a tight smile. Tracing the edge of her phone with an anxious finger, she checked the clock again and exhaled shakily. She was giving him five minutes before she refused to be humiliated any further by waiting alone.

She had had enough of that lately with Tyler.

"Hello, Caroline."

Klaus' clipped tone interrupted her thoughts and she jumped, banging her knee on the underside of the table.

"Klaus," she greeted, wincing slightly at the sharp pain in her knee. He was studying her with dark eyes, the corner of his lips itching to turn up in amusement at her.

He seemed to settle for sitting down across from her instead.

"I didn't think you were going to come," she began, looking at him with watchful eyes.

"Me neither," he admitted, picking up his menu. He looked up briefly before dropping his gaze down to the table. She sucked in a short breath, absently rubbing her sore knee.

"I'm glad you did," she offered. He hummed in response, focusing on the menu in front of him.

They were interrupted by the waiter who took their drink and food orders quickly, a lot faster than Caroline would have liked. The waiter left in a hurry, leaving behind a stilted silence. Klaus folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back in his chair. She took her warm coffee glass in her hands, blowing gently on top of it. Taking a small sip, she sighed heavily, both in bliss and annoyance.

"This is good coffee," she mused, plastering a fake smile on her face. He didn't respond, his dark gaze continuing to look at her inquisitively.

"Although, I usually take mine with a little more awkward silence," she continued.

The thick tension between them froze, then relaxed as the corner of his mouth quirked up at that.

"Witty, aren't you?" he remarked, sipping at his coffee. He glanced down at his cup and then back at her with mild surprise written on his face. "How'd you-"

"You're not the only one who pays attention," she replied, shooting him a small smile. Before he had arrived, she put two sugars in his coffee after noticing him do the same in the past. He looked pleased at her answer, taking another sip and casting his eyes down on the table.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about something," she began, chewing her bottom lip anxiously. He opened his mouth to say something but she lifted her hand to stop him. "Please. Let me get this out."

He shut his mouth, pressing his lips together in a thin line. He nodded mechanically, watching her with expressive eyes. She let out a loud exhale as she leaned forward on her elbows.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It was awful of me to use you to get information. It was terrible of me to even agree to do the stupid article. I was just so mad at you after what happened with Marcel that I wanted to hurt you. That isn't me, and I shouldn't have done it."

He didn't say anything, just continued watching her with his jaw set.

"I know that your family is a...sensitive topic," she continued lightly. Klaus' jaw twitched slightly at that. "So, I wanted to tell you in person that I'm not doing the article. I haven't felt right about it the entire time. You were right, I am better than that."

He was still quiet as ever, Caroline's heart beating rapidly at his continual cool expression.

"So, sorry for my less than innocent intentions," she finished. "I was wrong."

He still didn't say anything. Her face began to flush in both annoyance and in embarrassment at his obvious dismissal of her apology.

"Okay seriously? I screwed up once and apologized. You are still looking at me like I kicked your puppy when you've been an asshole 99% of the time towards me," she snapped, leaning back in her chair. His mouth quirked at her heated rant and a tiny hint of amusement flitted across his face.

"And now you think it's funny," she growled, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder with a huff. "Have you ever been checked for bipolar disorder?"

He chuckled at that, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I mean-Caroline," he added at her glare. "I have been quite the arsehole to you in past."

"That's an understatement," she muttered, his nod acquiescing her point.

"True. I apologize for my past actions," he continued on. "It seems I still don't know how to express myself after all these years."

"Express yourself?" she asked, scrunching her nose in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I fancy you," he said plainly, his eyes widening as if he was surprised to confess it.

Her jaw dropped open in surprise, a slight gasp dropping out of her lips.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Caroline scoffed, a disbelieving look on her face. "Yes."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely confused. "You're beautiful, strong, full of light. Amazingly talented. I enjoy you."

Shaking her head slightly, her mind trying to wrap around his confession. "Well you have an incredibly shit way of showing it."

He pursed his lips together, an amused expression flitting across his face. "I suppose my intentions have been less than subtle."

"Yeah, more like non-existent," she cut in. "I thought you hated my work."

"On the contrary, love, I think you're an incredible writer," he confessed, his dark eyes cutting into her. Her face flushed slightly at the intense glare he was bestowing upon her.

"Then why all the interview hijinks and cunning remarks?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

His expression turned sheepish as he lowered his gaze to the table. They were interrupted briefly by the waiter who dropped off their food dishes. After refilling their drinks, he scurried away, leaving behind an indignant Caroline and a reticent Klaus.

"I'm just..incredibly confused," she murmured, shaking her head. "Why have you been such an asshole if you 'fancy' me?"

He looked ashamed as he hesitantly peered at her from staring at his plate. "It was my way of reverse psychology, I suppose."

Narrowing her eyes in confusion, she took a bite of her salad. She chewed thoughtfully, waiting for him to continue.

"I knew about you when we first met at the conference a couple years ago. I'd read some of your pieces from college and I thought you were talented. I always thought the Herald was a bit of a shoddy newspaper, especially after hearing of Jenna's reputation," he began.

"I thought you were better than that so I resolved to do everything in my power to push you to become better than her. Better than the newspaper. You deserve better than some Opinion editor section," he finished, his blue-eyed gaze staring at her earnestly.

Her heart was pounding at his speech, emotion clawing at her heart. She opened her mouth to say something, but Caroline found herself completely speechless. He was watching her quietly, his eyes rapidly racking over her body, trying to find a crack in her exterior expression.

"So...you were an asshole this entire time to push me to my full potential?" she asked hesitantly, trying to wrap her mind around the concept.

Klaus chuckled sardonically. "I guess I always had a roundabout way of showing it."

"Now _that's_ an understatement," Caroline interrupted, a tiny smile gracing her lips. She was still so incredibly confused, but the bashful look on his face reminded her of the way he had arranged her interview with Ayana, and how Rebekah and the older woman spoke about Klaus' praises of her work. It never made sense.

Until now.

"It actually makes sense," Caroline let out a deep sigh. "Sort of."

Klaus looked a little bit relieved that she wasn't biting his head off and his shoulders relaxed a smidge.

"Can I ask you a question and you answer me honestly?" she inquired. His shoulder's tensed back up but his face remained impassive.

"I think you just did."

She glared at him and he cringed. "Sorry, impulse. Go on, love."

"Why me?" she asked, shrugging slightly. "You didn't even know me, let alone knew you liked me from the very beginning. Why did you decide to push me?"

He was quiet for a moment, his face unreadable. For a minute she didn't think he was going to answer before he let out a deep breath.

"I don't know."

He stared at her intensely for a minute, her face flushing slightly under his gaze. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it, ducking her head as she looked down at the table. Klaus' eyes burned into the top of her head before she felt him drop them to the table, listening to him pick up his fork and begin to eat.

She looked up at him, watching him chew whilst noticing the top of his ears redden. She sighed, taking a bite of her salad.

"Friends, then?" she asked, momentarily surprising him. He coughed slightly at her intrusion, but his eyes lit up at her words.

"Of course, love."

She narrowed her eyes at that and he course-corrected. "I mean, Caroline."

She grinned back at him, feeling all the stress and drama lift completely off her shoulders. She began to eat with ease, the tension surrounding them dissipate.

"How's Tyler?" Klaus asked lightly. She shot him a glare and he just smiled back innocently.

"Subtle," she bit out, teasingly.

"What? It's just us girls here," he said playfully, a smirk on his face.

She couldn't help but smile back, his dimpled grin was contagious.

"He's good," she shrugged. "He's super busy with this case so I haven't really done much wedding planning yet. I'm content to wait."

He nodded slowly, chewing on his food. She could continue to ramble about Tyler, but it didn't feel right talking to Klaus about him and their engagement.

"How about you?" she asked.

She was pretty sure Klaus' love life was the same hook ups as usual, but she was so not ready to get into the subject of his supposed crush on her.

"Oh you know, the usual," he winked at her and she crumpled her face in disgust.

"Okay, I know we said we'd be friends, but your hookups might be a little much," she protested, teasingly making a face.

His face brightened considerably and he leaned forward, settling his elbows on the table.

"Jealous, love?"

"God, no," she rolled her eyes, ignoring the teeny voice in her head that said "yes."

He pursed his lips at her in amusement, tilting his head at her while his eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Stop looking at me like that," she groaned, blushing slightly. "And take your elbows off the table. Did no one teach you manners?"

He grinned at that, leaning back in his chair. They ate in silence for a moment, Caroline trying to hold back questions that were on the tip of her tongue.

"Can I ask you another question?"

He sighed, glaring at her playfully. "I guess I have no choice."

"It's just one more question, and I swear I have no other motivation rather than curiosity."

Frowning slightly, his expression more guarded than usual. He still nodded nonetheless.

"What _is_ the deal with your father? I just want to know," she added quickly, noticing his ever-growing uncomfortable expression. "Please?"

He was quiet for a minute, Caroline's heart sinking slightly at his perturbed expression.

Only five minutes into this friendship and she'd already ruined it. _That's a record, Care,_ she chided herself.

"My father- Mikael," he clarified. "He'd always been incredibly harder on me as a child. He kept me at arm's length, yet forbade me to be alone with Ansel. He didn't want me to be his son, but he didn't want Ansel to be my father either."

"Sounds selfish," Caroline added, Klaus chuckling harshly in response.

"That's Mikael. I finally asked my mother when I was about 11 why I looked more like "Uncle Ansel" and she knew she couldn't lie to me anymore. She told me that night, both Mikael and Ansel were in the room. I didn't even have time to process it before Mikael fired him and had him removed by security."

"Oh my God," she gaped at him in shock. "Poor Ansel."

"Oh, don't feel sorry for him," Klaus bit out, a sardonic grin on his face. "He knew that entire time and did nothing about it. It seems I wasn't enough to give him a reason to go up against Mikael's rules."

"I'm sorry," she replied softly. His hardened expression relaxed a smidge, before he shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's nothing. My siblings didn't see me as anything other than their brother and that's really all that mattered to me. Esther and Mikael are nothing, so was Ansel."

Caroline nodded slightly, content to let him rant. There was a pit in her stomach that ached for his lost childhood. He must have felt so alone, outcast by the parents that he loved growing up.

"My mother does try to speak to me often," he continued, a hint of vulnerability shining through. "I humor her, just to keep my youngest brother, Henrik, happy."

"You must love him very much," she remarked, happy to change the subject.

"Don't all siblings?" he mused, and Caroline smiled slightly.

"I wouldn't know. Only child," she contributed.

A small smile grew across his lips. "I know."

She sighed playfully, shaking her head at him.

Of course.

"So, uh Ansel's death," she began and he shook his head curtly.

"Another day, love," he shot out, his jaw setting.

She pursed her lips, ducking her head slightly. "Sorry."

"It's quite all right. I've just met my yearly allotment of talking about my family," he countered with a tiny smile.

"Speaking of family, have you spoken to Elijah about Katherine lately?" Caroline asked, propping her elbow up on the table, manners be damned.

"No.." he began, a confused expression spreading across his face as he leaned forward across the table.

She flushed slightly at his undivided attention and close proximity, but brushed it aside.

"Oh my God, let me tell you.." she began explaining Katherine's comments from that morning, an intrigued smile spreading across his face. Their lunch continued somewhat pleasantly, Caroline finding her friendship with Klaus coming easier than she ever thought possible.

Maybe things would turn out alright after all.

* * *

 **Thoughts? We got a little insight into Klaus' childhood and family life this time and we finally have Klaroline friendship :) Did you spot the canon lines? ;) Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews are the best way to let me know what you guys as readers think :).**

 **Next chapter: The scene between Forwood that we've all been praying for... (I really hope you guys like it, super nervous about it actually)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	9. Answers

**And so it's the chapter we've all been waiting for, Tyler's secret revealed.**

 **I'll just meet you guys down at the bottom because I'm super nervous.**

 **Thanks Gail for the beta job :) And assuring me that it made sense :) *smooches***

* * *

Humming quietly to herself, Caroline perused through the aisles of Whole Foods. It was a Sunday afternoon and she was gathering groceries for dinner with Tyler. Things between them were...okay.

Truthfully, ever since they had the big argument and she went out with Katherine to Donovan's, things have felt kind of off. Either he was incredibly distracted, or she just didn't seem to care anymore. However, she decided to at least attempt to recreate the magic one last time. If this didn't work then...maybe her relationship with Tyler wasn't as fairytale as she always liked to think. It had been rather difficult trying to spend time together. They were both so constantly busy, Jenna having her on scut work since the Mikaelson article bomb.

Jenna was _pissed_.

Honestly, Caroline didn't care about what Jenna thought. Her reputation and conscience were saved, and strangely her friendship with Klaus was growing stronger every day. He was helping her get some amazing interviews as of late.

Speaking of Klaus...

Her phone let out a loud ring, startling her and making the package of noodles she was holding drop out of her hand.

"Shit," she hissed, grappling for her purse.

She undid the clasp hurriedly, reaching for the loud, protesting device. With a small smile tugging at her lips, Caroline lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello, love-"_

"Ahem," Caroline interrupted.

 _"Caroline,"_ Klaus finished, his voice filled with amusement.

She grinned back at the receiver, propping it up between her ear and shoulder as she leaned down to pick up her groceries.

"Hey," she replied. "How was the press conference?"

Klaus scoffed through the receiver _. "What do you think?"_

"Hmm, let's see, The Mayor actually didn't show up and yet again, his poor secretary was yet again regaled to being harassed by a room full of journalists with deadlines to meet?"

 _"You are straight on, love_ ," he replied.

She giggled to herself, pushing her cart further down the aisle to the sauces. "I feel bad for the poor girl. This is the third one he's missed in the past month because he's on vacation."

" _At least I_ _procured that interview with_ _him that one time,"_ Klaus chimed in. Caroline rolled her eyes, pushing through the glass bottles of sauce.

"Yes, we all know. Mr. _'I have no idea what happened to your press pass love_ ,'" Caroline mimicked, shuffling her phone to the other ear as she picked up a jar.

Klaus just hummed into the receiver in response.

"So, those notes," Caroline began, biting her lip in concentration as she read the back of a tomato sauce jar.

"Have already been forwarded to your email account," he finished, the amusement apparent in his voice.

"If you say so," she absently replied, placing the jar back on the shelf.

 _"Don't you trust me love?"_ he asked teasingly and she arched her brow at that.

"We've been friends for like five minutes after years of fighting and you asked me if I trust you?" she shot back, only half teasing.

 _"Check your email,"_ he sighed.

She took her phone away from her ear and clicked on her email, verifying that he was telling the truth.

"Okay, thanks. You're off the hook for the rest of the night," she smiled playfully in the phone. "Hey do you like cooking?"

He was quiet before he responded, his voice slightly unnerved _. "I enjoy it from time to time, yes."_

"Can you help me with something? What kind of pasta is pesto better on?" she asked, frowning at the jar in her hand and the package of noodles in her cart.

Cooking was confusing.

He chuckled lightly. _"Why?_ _Happen to have_ _a_ _scandalous_ _date with your TV?"_

She rolled her eyes, placing the pesto jar back on the shelf.

"Shut up, it's for Tyler," she swore she could hear Klaus suck in a low breath at her mention of her fiancé.

 _"Sc_ _andalous_ _date?"_ he repeated, his voice tight with something she couldn't decipher quite yet.

"You could say that," she shrugged.

" _What are you trying to make?_ " he asked. She could almost hear the annoyed expression on his face.

She sighed, leaning up against her cart. "I'm trying to find something to make for dinner tonight. It's been awhile since we've had time to see each other and I want it to be good...and romantic," she finished hesitantly, her stomach turning because the last thing she wanted to talk about with Klaus was Tyler.

Klaus didn't say much, but her phone beeped up against her ear.

" _I just emailed you my recipe for chicken penne ala vodka_ ," he stated. " _It's easy, delicious, and a real crowd pleaser."_

Caroline blinked surprisingly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you."

" _Anything for you,"_ he quipped. Her heart stuttered at his simple statement, him unassuming of the effect he's starting to have on her.

She blushed slightly at her body's actions, before rolling her eyes at her school girl reaction.

"So big plans for tonight?" she asked, clearing her throat.

" _Mmm, probably going to Donovan's,"_ he mused, Caroline's palms growing sweaty as she flashed back to the infamous night at the club weeks ago.

She's reminded of the smooth way his body rhythmically moved with hers, the feel of his rough hands on her bare back. From the awkward silence on the other end of the phone, she can tell he's probably picturing the same thing.

"Oh?" she asked, distractedly fumbling with her purse to pull out lip balm for her suddenly dry lips. "I thought you hated the club scene."

" _I do, but Matt gives me free drinks now that he knows I'm Rebekah's brother_ ," Klaus stated. Caroline giggled into the receiver. " _He has a slight crush on her, not that she'd notice with Enzo so far up her arse."_

"And you didn't even have to flirt with him," she teased, playfully smiling at her receiver.

" _Just a tad, lo-Caroline_ ," he said playfully, correcting his misspeak causing her grin to grow.

"Well, I better get going," she started, sighing slightly.

Truth is, the last thing she wanted to do was hang up, but she really did need to get going to make dinner for Tyler.

Tyler. Her fiancé.

Klaus let out a long-suffering sigh before conceding to her point. _"I guess so. Have a good night, love."_

"You too," she murmured into the phone, barely registering the pet name.

She hung up the phone, and checked her email, finding the recipe he had thoughtfully sent her. She looked at the ingredients, unease settling in her stomach.

Why did the thought of making dinner for Tyler with Klaus' recipe bother her so much?

It felt _strange._

"Stop reading into things," Caroline muttered to herself, pushing the cart down the grocery aisle as she went to gather the ingredients.

* * *

Humming to herself, Caroline pushed her key into the lock of Tyler's apartment and twisted it, letting herself into the foyer. She was surprised to find that it was already unlocked. Tyler was unusually paranoid about people breaking into his apartment so he kept the door locked at all times.

"Tyler?" she called out, slipping her shoes off.

There wasn't a response, and she wrinkled her forehead in confusion. She had just gotten a text from him saying that he'd meet her at the apartment a few minutes ago and his shoes were right next to the door, like usual. She placed the groceries on the floor, walking into the living room to find it empty, same with the kitchen.

Her heart began to pound as the thought of someone really breaking into the apartment and attacking Tyler went to the forethought of her. He didn't live in the south side of Chicago, but _still._ She fleetingly thought about grabbing a fireplace poker or something, but didn't want to make any sudden movements. Plus, she was the sheriff's daughter in her old hometown so she was pretty good at protecting herself.

Or she could always scream bloody murder.

She went over to his bedroom, blinking confusedly at the shut door. Placing her hand on the handle, she twisted it and flung it open.

"Oh my God," she gasped.

Tyler looked up from where he was sitting on the bed, his elbows propped up on his knees.

"You scared me," she laughed, coming to sit down next to him. "Didn't you hear me?"

Tyler uneasily nodded, nervously chuckling. "Sorry babe, I was lost in my own thoughts."

"It's okay," she smiled. "Hungry?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not really. I've had a long day. I was thinking about going to bed."

"Lame, come on. I bought some groceries and have an awesome recipe I want to try," Caroline responded, tugging at his hand.

Tyler shook his head, continuing to stare at the ground. "I'm good. I'm not hungry."

Caroline sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "Seriously, come on Tyler. It's been weeks since we've had a real dinner together. Just do it for me."

"I said no!" Tyler blurted out, jumping off the bed.

Her eyes narrowed and expression hardened as she stood up to face him.

"What the hell is your problem? Seriously? All you ever do is work, and when you aren't, you want nothing to do with me!" Caroline yelled, propping her hands up on her hips. "You're my fiancé, the man I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with and you can't even sit through a damn dinner without finding an excuse to leave."

Tyler didn't say anything, his dark eyes staring straight at her. Tears began to fill Caroline's eyes at his impassive nature.

"Are you cheating on me?" she gasped, a tear trickling down her cheek.

"What? No!" he protested, turning away.

"Seriously? You've been canceling on me for weeks, the case lasting longer than most, you're always getting mysterious phone calls," Caroline continued, her lip wobbling. "It makes sense."

Tyler turned around to face her, his hard eyes softening at her distress. "Caroline, I'm not cheating on you. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a cheater."

Caroline shrugged, wiping away a tear. "Then what's going on?"

He sighed, his shoulder's slumping dejectedly. He reached out and pulled her over to him, sitting down on the bed.

"Can you honestly tell me that you're ready to get married?" he asked, his brown eyes searching hers. "That I'm the man you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Yes!" she said defiantly. Tyler looked at her, narrowing his eyes at her defensive nature. "I mean, nobody can't ever be 100% percent sure."

It's true. She thought that Tyler was her one and only for so many years. But in all honesty, she'd never felt so disconnected to him as she did when they got engaged. She stopped caring about him canceling on her all the time, used to it. She spent more time thinking about work (and other...things) than she did him.

Tyler sighed, falling back on his bed. "I thought asking you to marry me was the right thing to do."

"What like it was a chore?" Caroline snapped, her eyes glittering with angry tears.

He looked confused. "What? No!"

"Then explain it to me. What the hell is going on?"

Tyler looked at her before gazing at the wall. "I'm scared."

"Of what?" she asked, utterly confused. "Me?"

"No," he replied hastily. "I don't….I just don't think I'm ready to get married. To you, or anybody."

Caroline blinked, tears rapidly falling down her face. "So you've been avoiding me and lying to me-"

"Because I don't want to get married," he answered simply. "Not now, maybe not ever."

Caroline let out a shaky breath, watching her years of white-picket fence dreaming come crashing down.

"Can you honestly, look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you want to marry me?"

Caroline looked at his defeated expression, his warm brown eyes that used to send her reeling, now left her cold and empty. She searched her thoughts for a moment to find something, anything that would bring her to say yes.

"No," she murmured. "I don't."

Tyler sucked in a tight breath, her words hitting him harder than he expected. She wiped at her eyes with shaking hands.

"We're breaking up aren't we?" he muttered.

She nodded her head, fiddling with the ring that adorned her finger.

"I can't see how we can get past this," she whispered. "We're not the same people we were five years ago."

Tyler placed a hand on her knee and she recoiled at his touch. His touch used to be soothing, electrifying, but now all she wanted to do was shake his hand off her.

"Don't touch me," she hissed. "I can't believe you."

"Caroline, I didn't mean to hurt you," Tyler began.

She chuckled sardonically, wiping at her face. "You should have thought about that before proposing to me just because it was the 'right thing to do',"

Tyler looked back at her, seemingly a loss for words.

"I worried for weeks because I didn't understand why my fiancé didn't have time to be with me," she continued, all of her insecurities bubbling to the surface. "But the truth is, you didn't want me."

"I still want you, Caroline," Tyler pleaded.

She shook her head frantically. "I don't believe you. And if I'm being honest, I don't want you either."

Her confession stunned him, his mouth shutting with a snap.

"When did the trial end, Tyler?" she asked. "Or was that something else you were lying about?"

Tyler looked at her, the guilt plastered across his face. "At least a month ago. I liked being able to go out with the guys from time to time, so it was just easy to say I was working."

Caroline gasped quietly, the anger welling in her stomach.

"I'm done," she whispered, shaking her head.

"I think we ran our course a long time ago," Caroline continued., running a shaking hand through her blonde curls.

"I only wish I let go of the dream at the same time," she finished.

Tyler continued to be silent, the intensity of the moment seemingly weighing him down.

"I can't be here anymore," Caroline whimpered, sniffling. She went to get up, yanking her elbow away from Tyler as he went to stop her.

"Care-"

"Please," she bit out. "I can't be here."

Tyler stood there in front of her, his shoulder slumped as he looked up at her. She sniffed, reaching for the ring on her finger, hesitating before tugging it off. With shaking hands, she placed it in his palm and he wrapped his fingers around it.

"I'm sorry," he managed to get out, his throat tight with tension. Caroline shrugged, letting out an unsteady breath.

"Me too," Caroline said, her voice breaking slightly at the end.

Tyler winced slightly, his hands falling to his side.

Feeling another tear trickle down her cheek, Caroline hastily wiped it away, whirling around as she let herself out of the bedroom. She cringed as she heard the ping of the ring hit the wall after Tyler must have thrown it against the wall.

She stared dumbfounded at the groceries next to her shoes in the entry hall, shocked at the sudden change of events. Gathering up her bags with unsteady hands, she stumbled into her shoes and out the door. She leaned up against it once out in the hall, freely letting the tears roll down her face.

As heartbroken as she was with the breakup, a part of her felt so...relieved.

Everything seemed to make sense. He had began pulling away from her from the beginning. Waiting so many years to ask her for her hand, working constantly afterwards, distant, no desire to start planning, more concerned with work than her.

He was not the only one to blame. She played a huge part of it. Somewhere along the way, she stopped fighting for him. She stopped caring. She'd been so in love with the idea of marrying Tyler, that she'd forgotten the most important part: being in love with him.

Wiping at her face, she sighed. Looking down at her groceries, she scoffed as she felt the desire to go throw all of them into the garbage. She began the long walk to the elevator, fully prepared on sitting on her couch and eating ice cream all night.

Pulling out her cell phone, she scrolled down to Katherine's number before hesitating. Caroline vaguely remembered her best friend saying something about a hot date with Elijah and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin her best friend's night with something as depressing as a broken engagement. She finally made it down to the lobby and hailed a cab, numbly giving the driver her address.

As she rode through the Chicago streets, the lights illuminated her face as she tipped her head back against the seat. Her heart was so conflicted. She felt so guilty for letting it get this far, but relieved that for once, something seemed right. It felt so off for the longest time, but now, it felt so right.

In the most devastating kind of way.

The cab driver dropped her off in front of her apartment, offering to help the miserable blonde with her bags. She thanked him with a kind smile, but she really couldn't fathom interacting with anybody else at the moment.

Caroline made her way into her apartment, dropping her bags with a sigh. She looked into the hallway mirror, gasping in horror at the reflection that stared back at her. Her curls had fallen, mascara dripped down her face, her skin was blotchy from crying, and there was a black stain on her shirt from her eyeliner. That alone made her cry all over again and she slumped her shoulders, falling onto her couch.

Her phone dinged with an alert and she miserably lifted her eyes to it. It was from Klaus of all people, reminding her about setting the chicken out before baking it. Her heart thudded painfully, due to the reminder of her ruined dinner but it lifted at seeing his name. Scoffing to herself, she threw her phone on the couch and folded her arms across her chest. She inwardly berated herself for feeling _anything_ but sorrow.

Although..

She cast another eye down at her phone, remembering his plans of going to Donovan's after they got off the phone. She could really use a drink, but running into him was the _last_ thing she should be doing. He would probably taunt her of her failed engagement, reminding her of all the signs she missed.

But, that was the old Klaus, not the new, improved, friend-Klaus.

And she did need a friend tonight.

Her friend was kind, thoughtful, friendly, incredibly helpful, undeniably attractive.

Her face crumpled a little as she reminded herself that she was now single and didn't have to hide those secret dirty thoughts about him anymore.

"GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" Caroline screeched, throwing her pillow across the room.

She was devastated about Tyler in one moment and then accidentally lusting after Klaus in another.

But there was one thing she knew, she couldn't stay in this apartment any longer. It was filled with too many memories of Tyler and too many thoughts of Klaus.

Shaking her head, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She cleaned up her face, placing some fresh eyeliner and mascara on her eyes. She fluffed her hair, sniffling as she brushed a comb through it. Before she knew it, she'd changed into a simple black dress and was heading out the door, destination to be determined.

* * *

Walking aimlessly down the street, she found herself down the road headed to Donovan's. Sighing loudly to herself as she muttered under her breath, the passing pedestrians gave her an odd look as she decided where to go from there. Against her better judgment, she hailed a cab for Donovan's. Mentally berating herself for even presenting the idea of going to see Klaus, she fully intending on sitting in a private lounge by herself to drink away her misery.

Numbly, she walked into the club, the music pumping and the liquor flowing. Making a beeline for the bar, she smiled at Matt, the owner as he sidled up in front of her.

"Where's your sidekick?" he teased, pulling out a glass.

"Hot date," Caroline smiled back weakly.

Matt's eyebrows rose as he nodded thoughtfully. "And you?"

"Recently dumped so give me the hard stuff," she sighed, plopping down in the bar stool. Matt winced slightly as he pulled out a bottle of vodka.

"I'm sorry," he continued, pouring her a shot.

Caroline downed it before he barely finished pouring it. "Yeah, me too."

She cringed at the burn, licking her lips as she pointed down at the shot glass. "Hit me."

He eyed her uneasily before pouring another shot. "Okay, but after this, you're on fruity drinks."

She grimaced before slamming back another shot. He placed a glass of water in front of her and an amaretto sour next to it.

"Oh come on, Donovan, don't you know the lady loves a good wine?" A smooth, familiar, heart twisting voice came from behind her.

She swiveled around to see one of the people she'd been drinking to avoid thinking about.

"Hello, Caroline."

She licked her lips and looked down his profile, unconsciously checking him out. He was devastatingly handsome, wearing fitted jeans and a tight white henley that showcased his multitude of necklaces. On his face was a wry grin that would melt the iciest heart.

He was intoxicating.

"Klaus."

* * *

 **Sooo, story breakdown. I have a feeling some of you will be let down by Tyler's lack of secret, he wasn't really doing ANYTHING, but avoiding her. Funny enough, this happened to a girl I went to college with, Her ex proposed ot her because he thought it would "fix" everything, but they ended up breaking up just like Forwood here. It's very realistic, and Tyler is super immature and I hope you guys totally get why Tyler did what he did.**

 **So thoughts! Please review! I was nervous about this chapter since reviews went kind of down in number last week, so I hope you guys liked this. But I promise a HUGE TURNING POINT for Klaroline in the next two chapters. I'm talking MAJOR.**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn (find me at she-walked-away on tumblr for any additional questions, comments, whatever :))**


	10. Drunken Confessions

**OH MY GOSH! Thank you all soooo much for all your reviews last chapter! I was so surprised and I was so happy that ya'll liked the Tyler twist!**

 **I'm just gonna go hide after this chapter. Ya'll might try to kill me for the cliffy :)**

 **Beta'd by Gail, cover by Erika**

* * *

"Is this our thing?" Klaus asked, smirking down at her. "Bars, drinking, you sitting here waiting for me to show up?"

Caroline scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. And we don't have a thing."

Klaus continued to grin at her and she groaned, waving at the empty chair next to her. "By all means, sit down and annoy me."

"Someone looks rather ravishing," Klaus remarked, plopping down in the bar stool. "Where is the young Mr. Lockwood? Did you burn dinner?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, taking another shot.

"Impressive," Klaus mused, ignoring the fact that Caroline brushed off his question.

She motioned for Matt to bring her another shot, the bartender reluctantly pouring another whilst placing a separate glass of water down next to it.

"Sweetheart, if you are determined to get drunk, then perhaps might I recommend something a little more sophisticated?" he motioned towards a glass of wine that Matt was placing in front of a woman three stools down.

Caroline just drained the vodka shot.

"Well then, you showed me."

Klaus turned back to the bar and motioned for Matt, ordering a bourbon on the rocks. Caroline blinked at the empty shot glass, licking her dry lips as the alcohol hummed in her brain. Klaus watched her out the side of his eye, sipping at the drink that Matt brought him, content to let her sort out her thoughts.

"We broke up," Caroline muttered, finally lifting her eyes to meet his.

If Klaus was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Oh?" he asked, whirling around on the stool to face her.

His face was composed into a perfectly passive expression. Caroline nodded numbly, lifting up her left hand to show him her bare finger.

"I'm sorry," he replied quietly, his eyes trained on her hand.

She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "It's fine. It was a long time coming."

"Can I ask what happened?" Klaus replied, propping his elbow up on the bar.

She arched her brow at his inquisitive stare, but he just smiled innocently back at her.

"We fell out of love a long time ago," she sighed. "It just took an engagement and a fight to realize that there was nothing left."

Klaus' expression remained unchanged, but there was a spark of something undecipherable in his eyes. She groaned, dropping her hands into her face.

"God, I feel so stupid," she whined, her voice muffled by her hands.

"It's not your fault."

'Yes it is!" Caroline lifted her face up and glared at him almost accusingly. "If I had just said no when I was already having doubts, we could have avoided this whole thing."

"You had doubts?" he asked, lacing his fingers and looking at her closer. She rolled her eyes and nodded despite her desire to drop the subject.

Klaus pressed his lips together in a thin line. "But then again, you'd still be in a relationship that was going nowhere. Just like your engagement was."

"Thanks for your sensitivity," she hissed.

Klaus lifted his hands up apologetically. "I'm just being honest."

She slumped in her seat, running a hand through her curls. It wasn't his fault that she and Tyler screwed up. Technically, it wasn't anyone's fault; it just happened over time.

"You're right," she sighed.

Klaus' eyes lit up and his lips curved into a smirk.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? Did you just tell me I was right?" he asked. "And can I get that in writing?"

A small smile grew across her face, despite her annoyance. "Shut up. I'm drunk and can't be held accountable for anything that I say."

He just grinned back at her.

"He didn't want me," she muttered, peeking at Klaus.

"What?"

"He was lying to me about the case," she continued. "You were right."

Klaus gaped at her, blinking confusedly at her.

"I don't understand."

Caroline shrugged. "He proposed because he felt like he should. I said yes because I felt like I should. He's been blowing me off because he didn't want to be with me."

Klaus' eyes hardened, his expression turning absolutely murderous.

"He's an idiot," Klaus growled, scoffing at his glass.

Caroline just shook her head. She was done talking about Tyler, and all the stupid stuff that he pulled. That part of her life was over.

She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and brought her water to her mouth, taking a drink. Her head was fuzzy from the alcohol and she licked her lips, watching Klaus subconsciously follow the motion with dark eyes.

Maybe it was the fact that she was finally free, or the booze talking, but Klaus' obvious attraction to her was beginning to be thrilling, in the best way. She turned to him, noting the way his tight white henley clung to his lean form, how his stubble made his jaw look enticing, and the way his curls were perfectly mussed.

God, he looked really hot.

Caroline bit her bottom lip, shamelessly roving her eyes over his form. He quirked an eyebrow at her in interest, noting how her eyes darkened. She was reminded of the chemically charged moment back in her office all those weeks ago.

She hated herself for all the dirty thoughts she had about him during then and any time after. Feeling guilty because she was pledging her life to Tyler, while also having sexual fantasies about Klaus late at night.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked randomly.

He blinked, surprised, but nodded all the same.

"Always."

"What made you go into journalism?" she asked, scooting closer to him.

He cast a confused look down at her actions, but shrugged.

"What makes you ask that?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders, propping up her elbow on the bar as she turned to face him completely.

"You don't seem very passionate about it."

Klaus made a face, bemusedly cocking his head at her. "What do you mean?"

"You can't keep avoiding the question by asking questions, _love_ ," she teased, winking at him.

Klaus shot her a dimpled smile at the teasing nickname, but offered no response.

Caroline sighed, flipping her blonde curls over her shoulder. "I just think it's kind of weird."

"What, me being a journalist or me deflecting the question?" he shot back, raising his eyebrows challengingly.

"You being a journalist," she shrugged. "I mean, you are a good writer. You are cunning, brash, smart, and talented."

"My ego thanks you," he smirked smugly.

"But you don't seem very passionate about it," she shrugged. "You've spent the better part of the past two years swooping in to steal interviews to 'help me' and you're not exactly working at the most popular newspaper."

"The Star does well," Klaus began and Caroline interjected with a scoff.

"Oh, come on, Klaus. We both know that you could have a job at the damn _Tribune_ if you wanted it," she rolled her eyes, looking at him knowingly.

Klaus nodded slightly, acquiescing to her point.

"I'm just...confused," she worded, licking her lips. "Why journalism?"

Klaus didn't say anything for a minute, picking up the vodka bottle Matt had left and poured two shots.

"How about we play a game? One confession equals a shot," he said, daring her with his dangerous smirk.

She squinted her eyes at him skeptically before reaching over and primly picking up one of the shots.

"You're on."

Klaus arched an eyebrow, picking up the lone shot glass. "Confession? I hate writing."

Caroline's jaw opened comically as she watched him throw back the shot effortlessly, grimacing as the liquid burnt down his throat.

"Your turn," he grinned at her, pouring himself another.

Caroline gaped at him, wetting her bottom lip with her tongue as she fiddled with her glass.

"Not getting any younger here," Klaus teased, shaking his glass at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him playfully before jutting her chin at him.

"Confession: I love writing," she smirked, tilting her head back and drinking down the shot.

She heard Klaus groan and mumble under his breath about cheating as the liquid slid easily down her throat. Making a slight face, she shivered slightly as she reached for the vodka bottle.

"Confession: Art is one of my passions," Klaus continued, drinking quickly as if to brush it off.

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head at him thoughtfully.

Klaus nodded, smiling almost shyly. "Yeah, it's something I've always loved. Ayana was my mother's best friend so I spent a lot of time at the museum when I was little."

Caroline smiled at him, enjoying the way his eyes seemed to sparkle when he mentioned the museum.

"I bet you're talented," Caroline remarked, biting her lip almost flirtatiously.

She inwardly berated herself for the school-girl action, but it didn't seem to faze Klaus. He just ducked his head bashfully, shrugging slightly.

"I'm all right," he muttered, looking away almost ashamedly after realizing how much he confessed.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, pressing her lips together in a line as she contemplated her next shot.

"I'm glad Tyler and I broke up," she whispered, throwing back the shot.

She grimaced at the taste, rubbing her chest slightly as she avoided looking over at the man next to her.

"I wasn't fair to him," she continued, peeking up at Klaus through her lashes.

His face was a picture of surprise, mouth hanging slightly open and his eyes bewildered.

"Wasn't he avoiding and lying to you?" he asked, fiddling with his hands almost nervously.

Caroline's shoulders drooped. "Yeah, but I was lying to him too."

"How?"

"I agreed to marry him when I knew I really didn't want to."

Klaus watched her carefully, noting how her grip on the empty shot glass seemed to tighten with every word.

"Okay," he said. "Con-"

"He wasn't the one I wanted after all," Caroline confessed, lifting her eyes to Klaus defiantly.

He sucked in a low breath, watching her with stormy eyes. His face looking at her like an intoxicating combination of confusion, shock, and with a tiny bit of hope.

"And you know of someone you want?" he asked carefully, his stormy blue eyes locked with hers. Her mouth went dry and she bit her lip, unsure.

"I don't know," she murmured, licking her dry lips.

Klaus stared back at her, matching her penetrating stare with his own. There was a beat and she dropped her gaze to the vodka bottle, and reached for it. Pouring herself another shot with shaking hands, she drank it down, chalking up her nerves to alcohol and her raw confession.

Peeking at Klaus again, she was surprised to see him staring back at her still. His gaze was raking over her thoughtfully, as if he was seeing her in a new light.

A new, _available_ , light.

Katherine did always say that the best way to get over someone, was to get under someone else. Plus, she was dying to see if Klaus' lips tasted as good as she dreamed about. He liked her, she was... _confused_ about him, but at least he would be discreet and not hold it over her head.

And she was drunk.

Perfect excuse.

She looked out the corner of her eyes at Klaus. He was obviously attractive, and if his reputation preceded him, he was quite the Lothario when it came to women. Also, Caroline was so not ready for a relationship anytime soon. She already had a failed 5 year relationship and a broken engagement under her belt. She knew Klaus liked her, and to be honest, she was attracted to him beyond belief despite her confusion.

What harm could one night be?

"But then again," Caroline began, propping her elbow up on the bar.

She stuck out her chest slightly, glad the dress she wore enhanced her cleavage. "It'd been awhile since we last had sex anyways."

"Oh?" Klaus asked, his eyes drifting down to her enticing chest.

She smirked at him, raising her eyebrow when their gaze met.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I can't remember when."

Klaus arched his brow, reaching for his long forgotten bourbon and took a huge gulp, licking a droplet off the bottom of his lip. Caroline sighed, mentally keeping herself from leaning over and using her own tongue to help him out.

"That's interesting," he commented, raking his eyes over her form.

The energy between them had changed, almost as if Klaus could read her mind.

Caroline hummed nonchalantly, twirling the straw in her glass of water. It had been a really long time since she and Tyler had been intimate. And to be honest, she really needed some kind of relief. The tension that had been building between her and Klaus over the past two weeks had been driving her absolute bonkers. Thinking of scratching that itch with Klaus was clear proof that she was crazy.

"Though," Caroline began, reaching out to pluck Klaus' drink from his hand. "A girl has needs, you know?"

Klaus' eyes darkened, a flicker of lust gleaming in them. She threw him a smirk, sipping his bourbon.

Katherine would be so proud of her right now.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder, innocently stealing a look at him. He was staring back at her, his eyes looking at her with that damn inscrutable expression that always drove her crazy. She could never tell exactly what he was thinking.

"It's actually been a while for me too," he muttered, drooping his head as he looked away.

Her eyes widened in shock at his surprising comment.

"It has?"

Klaus chuckled lowly. "Months to be honest."

"But what about that girl from the hotel bar a month or so ago?"

Klaus just looked at her, his gaze unwavering. "She wasn't the one I was interested in."

Caroline swallowed heavily, noticing her own words being thrown in her face. There was some underlying meaning behind his words, just like hers, but she was too drunk and too lost in his eyes to care about the repercussions of them.

"Shot," she murmured, jutting her chin towards his shot glass.

Klaus shook his head, his gaze penetrating.

"That's not a confession. That's a well-known fact."

All of the breath Caroline had been holding, whooshed out at his sentence. She opened her mouth to counter his argument, but found herself tongue-tied. His hands reached over and gently covered hers, prying his glass from her hands. The rough, calloused palm against her soft hands sent shocks through her body and she shivered slightly.

"I think I'm going to dance," Caroline mumbled, licking her dry lips.

Klaus still looked kind of stunned at his own words, nodding slightly as she uneasily tried to get off the stool. She stumbled a little, Klaus wrapping a warm hand around her forearm to steady her. Her legs felt jellified as the feel of his hands once again sent her blood pumping. She walked unsteadily a few steps before turning around to see him staring after her.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

His mouth dropped open and she almost laughed at the sight of Klaus Mikaelson speechless.

He nodded, quickly scrambling off the stool.

Her answering smile could blind even the sun.

* * *

God, he was a fantastic dancer.

Caroline moved her hips with him, praising the gods that they both had a sense of rhythm. She was pressed up against him, his dark eyes causing the most sinful reactions from her body. If he worked his hips this good at dancing, she could only imagine the kind of orgasm she'd get from him in a different kind of rhythm.

Well, that escalated quickly.

"I never told you," Klaus whispered into her ear, hot air blowing on her neck. She shivered slightly, goose bumps crawling on her skin pleasurably. "But you are quite the dancer."

"Well, I've had training," she teased. "I was Miss Mystic Falls back in high school."

His answering smirk knocked the breath out of her. "I know."

She scoffed playfully, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Your stalker tendencies aren't as endearing as you think they are," she commented.

Klaus pressed himself closer to her, murmuring lowly in her ear. "The blush on your face says otherwise, love."

She flushed even more at that, lacing her fingers in his curls on the back of his neck and tugged slightly, causing him to hiss. She smirked triumphantly before realizing that his cry wasn't out of pain, but something entirely different. Rolling her hips against him experimentally, her mouth dropping open slightly as she felt his arousal. Her mouth went dry and she felt a stab of lust at her core.

Instead of looking embarrassed or ashamed, Klaus was looking intently back at her.

"It's Caroline," she mumbled, biting her bottom lip. "Not, 'love'."

He followed the motion of her mouth, his eyes almost black with lust. Boldly, he leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. Normally she'd be grossed out because she was totally sweaty, but she was almost too turned on to care.

"Caroline," he whispered, his breath mingling with hers.

The sound of the yearning in his voice sent electric waves through her body, the blush deepening on her cheeks. She shut her eyes, cursing her body for responding to his low tone.

"I'm drunk," she murmured, flashing back to the last time they were in the club dancing like this.

He responded back to her just as quietly. "Me too."

"I'm not engaged anymore," she announced, opening her eyes to look at his dark blue orbs.

He was staring back at her, sending a jolt down her back.

"Good."

And with that, he kissed her.

She gasped into his mouth, his soft lips pressed insistently against hers. Her head spun with the intensity of the kiss, his lips molding over hers as he pulled her firmly against his chest. She clutched the back of the neck, parting his lips with the thrust of her tongue. It delved into his mouth, exploring the depth as he groaned into her lips.

She didn't care that they were making out in the middle of the club. She wouldn't even care if he stripped off her dress right then and there. Hell, she couldn't even remember her own _name._ All she could think about was Klaus and how his kisses left her breathless. His lips burned hers, his fingertips leaving shocks throughout her body with every touch to her skin.

She sighed into his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip. He broke away, bypassing her jaw and latched onto her neck, nibbling at the smooth skin there. His hot kisses gave her goose bumps, sending chills down her spine. His tongue glided down the base of her throat, nipping and sucking teasingly. She moaned quietly, tilting her head to allow him better access. His teeth lightly brushed against her collarbone, nipping there and she tugged his head up to bring his lips back to hers.

She pressed her hips up against him more firmly, grinding against his own arousal. His breath hitched and he grunted slightly into her mouth. She smiled against his lips, grinding her hips even more firmly against his. Her victory was short-lived as he pulled away and sucked on her pulse point. She gasped, her legs beginning to feel faint as her head spun with desire. His lips landed against hers again as he tantalizing trailed his hand down her back.

She wrenched her lips from him, pressing their foreheads together. Their eyes met, his as questioning as ever. She panted slightly, licking her bottom lip as she caught her breath. He was staring at her with a mixture of emotions, eyes filled with lust and confusion, and that damn hint of hope that sent her reeling.

"Take me home?" she requested, her order coming out more like a question. His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded firmly.

"Let's go."

* * *

 **Whoooops. Cliffhanger. My bad.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think! They seriously make my day and get me all excited to continue working on the story! Also, if you guys have any questions about future spoilers for the next few chapters, just look at the rating ;). Also, if you have any questions, especially about what the heck Klaus is probably thinking, you can always drop me a line at she-walked-away on tumblr. There is a reason why we aren't seeing his POV yet!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	11. In My Veins

**Hey guys! Sorry to leave you guys with that cliffy and that it took so long to get out :( The three day weekned kind of threw me for a loop, and so did my vacation fic, so my muse kind of ran away for a few days and didn't want to edit this thing.**

 **Sorry about any mistakes, un-beta'd except by me :)**

 **So, without further ado...**

 **(check the rating guys)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Caroline grasped Klaus' hand, allowing herself to be tugged off the dance floor. Following him back to the bar, she watched him throw a hundred dollar bill by their drinks, waving to Matt as she was lead to the exit.

Shamelessly she checked out his ass as he walked in front of her, admiring the way he confidently stalked through the crowd as if he was on a mission.

Well, technically he was on one.

One to be completed in her bedroom if she had anything to say about it.

Klaus went to hail a cab, his fingers still firmly wrapped around hers. It was a lot more intimate than she was expecting, the soft grip and how he kept looking back at her as if she'd disappear. She boldly wrapped an arm around his waist, running her nails lightly under the hem of his shirt. Her balance was off from drinking, so she leaned up against him to keep from stumbling. Her hand snuck completely under his shirt, playing with the hair at the top of his pants' waistband. Her fingers dipped under the waistband coyly, his back stiffening. Klaus' blue orbs darkened in desire as she grinned wickedly at him.

"Tease," he muttered, impatiently waving his hand for a cab.

She just leaned in and nipped at his earlobe in response.

A cab soon pulled up and Caroline nearly shoved Klaus in the back. Rattling off her address, she ignored the cab driver's request for seatbelts and pressed her lips back on Klaus'. They kissed frantically, tongues exploring each other's mouths as they reveled in the taste of each other's lips. She sighed softly into his mouth, feeling his hands travel up her thighs. He squeezed them gently, his thumbs dangerously stroking her inner thighs.

The warmth from his hands traveled up to her core as her hips involuntarily bucked. Her panties dampened as he continued to brush a teasing hand against her hot skin. Her hand lightly stroked his erection through his pants, his guttural moan muffled by her lips. She smiled into his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip in victory.

"I'm not moving until you put seat belts on," the cabbie interrupted.

Caroline broke away from his intoxicating lips with a groan, whacking Klaus' arm at his laugh.

She acquiesced to the cab drivers demands, buckling up as she grumbled profanities under her breath. Klaus placed a soothing hand on her knee, gliding it up her leg mischievously to rest near the apex of her thighs. She glared at him in response, and his thumb just skimmed over her inner thigh. Caroline moaned quietly, her hips jerking of their own accord. A devilish smirk bloomed across Klaus' face at the way she shook against him.

Victoriously, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She moved her own hand, ghosting it up his thigh. She rested on the bulge in his pants and refused to move it, no matter how many evil glares he sent her throughout the journey to her place.

The cab soon pulled up to her apartment building, and she yanked Klaus out by his shirt. Throwing some cash in the front seat, Klaus followed her out quickly, disentangling him from her as they walked through the front door. Caroline smiled brightly at her doorman who was quizzically looking at them, not used to her bringing home a strange man he'd never seen before.

The elevator was at the top floor so she waited there with Klaus awkwardly, stumbling slightly as her inebriation affected her balance. He caught her before she fell up against the wall, both of them laughing at her actions.

His eyes were bright, full with amusement. She blinked up at him, wanting nothing more to keep the same carefree expression on his face for hours. He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, ignoring the other couple that came up to stand next to them as they waited. His affectionate gesture made her heart flip, a blush staining her cheeks. She continued to look up at him, her fuzzy mind reeling.

She knew that all she initially wanted from him was just sex.

One night where she could let herself go and get what she'd be wanting for a long time.

One kiss from him sent her reeling. She couldn't even imagine what the sex would do to her.

The elevator dinged, causing her to jump slightly and all of her thoughts fled from her mind. She unsteadily walked past Klaus into the elevator, tugging him behind her. Squinting at the buttons, she pressed the one for her floor and accidentally hit another. She drunkenly giggled to herself, causing the couple in the elevator to roll their eyes at her actions. Klaus chuckled lowly, leaning in to press a kiss into her hair as he situated himself behind her. He discreetly ground his erection against her backside and her breath caught in her throat. She pressed back against him coyly, hearing him bite back a growl. His fingers dug into her hips warningly and she immediately began shuffling around in her bag for the keys to her apartment.

She didn't want any more distractions or obstacles between them and her bedroom.

The elevator finally opened on her floor and she tugged Klaus out, one hand on her keys and the other laced with his. He hovered over her as she tried to unlock the door, kissing the back of her neck temptingly. His teeth grazed her sensitive skin, sending the most pleasured chill down her spine.

She threw the door open, Klaus hot on her heels with his hands still connected to her hips. Caroline kicked off her shoes, dropping her purse down on the ground as she whirled around. His lips were on hers immediately, stealing her breath with his conquering kiss. She let out a soft whimper as his hand trailed up her abdomen, stroking her stomach softly. Her hands wandered down towards the hem of his shirt, tugging it up insistently.

He lifted his arms and rid of the shirt immediately, watching Caroline inspect his chest with lustful eyes. She bit her bottom lip, tracing the smooth, lean planes of his chest with her soft hands. He sucked in a low breath as she ran her nails down the front of it lightly, enjoying the sound of his ragged breathing .

Leaning it, she placed a hot kiss against his chest, noticing his heartbeat triple at the feel of her lips. He pulled her lips up to his, cutting off her surprised squeal. She panted into his mouth as he plunged his tongue past her lips, tangling with hers as it languorously explored her mouth. He feasted at her lips, barely letting her catch her breath.

Caroline began tugging him by his belt loops of his jeans past the entry hall, steps away from her bedroom. She stumbled slightly, his grip moving from her hips to the back of her thighs as he snatched her up effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing her throbbing core against his firm abdomen.

"Bedroom," she murmured against his lips. "Down the hall to the left."

He stiffened against her, pulling away quickly. She blinked at him confusedly, surprised by his sudden withdrawal.

"What the matter?" she asked, pressing her lips against his.

"I'm drunk," he replied, ducking his head.

She rolled her eyes before rolling her hips against him again.

"And?"

"You're drunk too."

"We covered this at _Donovan's,"_ she reminded him, reaching to kiss him.

He ducked her lips again and she frowned at him.

"So what's the problem?" she shrugged, whining as his grip loosened on her hips and he put her back down on the ground.

"We can't do this, love," he said.

It was like a cold bucket of water was splashed over her, ceasing the humming of her body. The sting of rejection began to creep over and her cheeks began to flush angrily.

"You don't want me?" she asked, her voice quiet and meek.

Klaus' eyes widened in surprise and he immediately reached for her.

She tried to push him away but his grip on her hips was too tight.

"No, no, I do," he claimed. "I want you more than anything."

His confession sent shivers down her spine and she looked up at him curiously, the humiliation of the situation seeping away.

"Then what is stopping you?" she asked, biting her lip apprehensively.

His eyes were troubled, obviously torn between leaving her high and dry (well, in this case wet), and ravishing her up against the wall of the living room. She looked up at him bemusedly, wondering what thoughts were racing through his head.

"I want you, so much," he confessed. "But I want it to be when we can both remember it."

Caroline snorted. "Klaus, I can assure you that I may be drunk but I'll remember. A girl doesn't forget what is sure to be mind-blowing sex."

Klaus smirked at that, his head tipping towards her as he agreed to her point.

"Still, you just broke up with Tyler. I'm not going have my first time with you as drunken hookup that will be remembered through hazy memories. You deserve so much better than that," Klaus continued, his face conveying his annoyance at his rare brush of conscience.

Caroline blinked at him before looking away.

"I've wanted this for a very long time," she whispered, Klaus' head looking up from the ground at the sound of her confession. "Longer than I'd like to admit."

"Really?" he asked, the hope brimming in his eyes.

She smiled slightly, nodding.

"But you're right," she admitted with a sad smile. "I'm too drunk to realize how much I'd regret it in the morning when I woke up."

Klaus nodded firmly, reaching out to lace his fingers with hers.

"Take me to bed?" Caroline asked.

Klaus opened his mouth to protest but she caught him off. "Just to sleep. Promise."

He studied her quietly before nodding. She smiled briefly, taking him by the hand and leading him to her bedroom. She hesitantly opened the door and looked at him. He swallowed heavily before going to gingerly sit on her bed.

"I'll wait," he said, nodding towards her bathroom.

She quirked up the corner of her mouth and quickly pulled out her nightclothes from her dresser as she headed to change

Studying her face in the mirror, Caroline gasped in horror. Her curls were a wreck, her lips red and swollen from his kisses, face and neck were pink from the stubble on his chin, and she had the beginnings of a hickey on her collarbone. She flushed slightly before changing, quickly downing a Tylenol to avoid the inevitable morning hangover and brushed her teeth. She tried smoothing her hair down, but decided she had already taken too much time in the bathroom.

Opening the door, she sheepishly peeked out at Klaus. He was in the same spot as she had left him, sitting on the edge of the bed looking as awkward as ever. Shyly, she stepped out of the bathroom. She smirked at the way Klaus' eyes widened as he took in the sight of her in tiny sleep shorts and a tank top.

"Aren't you going to get comfortable too?" Caroline asked, nodding towards his jeans.

He looked down as if just realizing that he was still half naked in the middle of her room, the tips of his ears reddening considerably. Unable to trust herself watching him undress, Caroline busied herself with turning down the comforter as she listened to him undo his belt and his pants hitting the floor.

Turning around slowly, she raked her eyes over his form unabashedly. Admiring the way his boxers did nothing to conceal his arousal for her, she flushed slightly at the proud smirk on his face when their gazes met.

"Get in," she muttered, slipping under the covers hurriedly.

Klaus walked around to the other side of the bed, hesitantly sliding in. "Are you sure?"

His question was soft and shy - very unlike Klaus.

Caroline nodded silently. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

He nodded, throwing her a small smile.

Reaching up and turning off her bedside lamp, she snuggled back in the bed. They laid there in awkward silence, both of them reliving the night's events. The silence was deafening, the air filled with tension as they both laid rigid and unmoving.

Caroline rolled her eyes, there was absolutely no way she was going to sleep tonight if this uneasiness continued.

"Screw it," she mumbled, rolling over to where she was cuddled up against his side. "Hold me."

Stiffly, Klaus followed her orders. It was clear he was uncomfortable with the affectionate gesture, but soon relaxed as she placed her hand on his abdomen, rubbing it softly with her thumb.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"What for?"

"Tonight," she said. "You took my mind off it. Even if I kind of attacked you when we got here."

Klaus hummed, propping his jaw up on the top of her head. "Anytime. You can attack me like that whenever you need to."

They laughed together, as she flushed in the moonlight. She smiled to herself, letting out a contented sigh before closing her eyes, letting his steady heartbeat lull her to sleep.

* * *

Caroline shifted slightly, blinking heavily at her bedside alarm clock. The numbers 4:30 stared back at her and she made a face. Sighing, she wiggled a little, freezing when an arm around her waist tightened.

Her heart began to race as she remembered inviting Klaus to stay the night after the adventurous night in the club. She was stone cold sober now, the visuals of hours earlier running through her mind. She waited for the cold feeling of shame to creep over her after her drunken shenanigans, but was confused when she was left with nothing but sheer desire for him.

Klaus shifted in his sleep, unknowingly pressing his erection against her ass. They had moved whilst she slept, Klaus now spooning her with his face buried in her curls. She moaned quietly at the sensation, her body taking precedence over her lucid mind. She pressed up against him, grinding his arousal with her backside. Klaus' hand shifted from her waist to under the hem of her tank top. She hissed quietly at the contact of his hand against her hot skin.

"Klaus?" she whispered.

His response was planting a hot kiss in the crook of her neck. She gasped softly, arching in his arms as his hand continued to stroke her stomach.

"Are you sober?" was his quiet whisper in her ear.

His hand drifted slowly down towards her core, her panties already damp in arousal.

He took her earlobe in his mouth, nibbling, sucking and kissing it. She whined, jerking her hips up towards his wandering hand.

"Yes. Completely," she gasped. "Please. Touch me."

He complied, his hand slipping into her shorts and past the lace of her panties. He groaned into her shoulder when he felt how wet she was. She nearly stopped breathing as his fingers traced her slit, dipping into and stroking her slick entrance. He peppered her neck with hot, open-mouth kisses, her soft moans filling the quiet morning air. His thumb rolled over her clit and her hips bucked.

"Klaus, please," she groaned.

He smiled against the flesh of her neck, biting it gently as he continued to rub her clit.

She turned her head to the side, crushing his lips to hers. His hand sped up his ministrations, slipping a finger into her entrance. The palm of his hand rubbed pleasurably against her, tightening the tension in her lower belly. Her guttural groan was muffled by his mouth and he inserted another finger, pumping them both steadily in her. Her hips rolled to meet his fingers of their own accord, coating his fingers with her arousal. Her clit was throbbing against his thumb, and he pressed down harder.

"I'm g-gonna-," she broke away from his lip, a sharp cry leaving her as he sped up his thrusts.

He watched her inquisitively as she bit her lip, the pool of arousal in her belly growing with his amazing motions. She threw her head back, closing her eyes as his free hand moved to cup her breast, tweaking a nipple.

Klaus nibbled on her neck, blowing hot against her ear.

"Come for me love," he ordered, the low rasp of his voice sending her flying over the edge.

Her inner walls clamped down on his fingers and she sobbed out her release, Klaus continuing to pump his fingers in her as he drew out her release. Her body shivered as it came off its high, his calming kiss on her temple making her hum contentedly.

That was by far probably the _best_ orgasm she'd ever had.

And that was just by his hands.

In a flash, she had him underneath him and she was kissing him passionately. His hands trailed down her back, lifting her shirt up. She stripped off the offending clothes, smirking at his pleased expression at her naked torso. She shrieked as he rolled them over, trailing hot kisses down her chest. She gasped quietly as he engulfed her nipple with his mouth, rolling the other one between his fingers. He sucked gently, hardening the pink bud and nibbled on it slightly before switching breasts.

She sucked in a low breath, pressing her hips against him as she felt arousal began to pool in her stomach. Her core was already aching again and she hadn't even had a chance to touch him yet. He continued to feast on her chest with ravenous lip, teasing her endlessly.

"I want to feel you," she murmured, making Klaus freeze slightly before he crawled back up her torso.

"Are you sure about this? Because I know I'm sober and I want this and-"

"Shh," she mumbled against his lips, slipping her hand down his body. "I want this. Please."

A small smile tugged at his lips before settling into a sly smirk. "Well then, have at it sweetheart."

She beamed back at him, slipping a hand into his boxers. Her fingers wrapped around his length, stroking it gently as she brushed a thumb over the tip. He groaned, burying his face into the crook of her neck as she gently jacked him off.

She marveled at the feel of his cock in her hand, experimentally scratching a nail down the shaft. He twitched in her hands, the pulse in his chest jumping against hers. His unsteady breathing stroked her ego as she thrilled herself with having Klaus Mikaelson, the most confident, arrogant person she knew, moaning and to the brink of bliss in her hand. She increased the pace of her strokes, swirling her thumb over the tip as he panted into her neck.

"Stop," he hissed. "I won't last much longer."

"I want you," she confessed. "Now."

Klaus' answer was to kiss her as he kicked his boxers off. She broke the kiss to rid herself of her panties and sleep shorts before Klaus slapped her hands away. Painstakingly, he pulled down her clothes, kissing her thighs teasingly as he bypassed her wet heat.

His kisses sent heat to her throbbing core and her legs were shaking and feeling like jelly by the time he reached her kneecaps. He made his way back up her thighs, nipping at her clit playfully. She gasped, bucking her lips towards his mouth. He licked gently up her slit, moaning quietly at the taste. He swirled his tongue around her aching clit, Caroline's body shuddering.

"Please, I need you," she whimpered.

His response was to bury his lips in her folds, circling at her entrance with his tongue.

She whined, grinding her hips against his mouth.

"I need you in me," she begged, tugging at his hair. "Now."

He crawled back up her body, sucking a nipple into his mouth and she arched, throwing her head back.

"Please," she whined again and he released her breast with a pop.

Her body shook with arousal and she rubbed herself against his, hissing at the friction of his skin on hers.

"Condom? I didn't think-"

"On birth control," she gasped, pressing her chest against his. "Now."

He slid into her, growling as her slick heat enveloped him. She moaned, unable to disguise her pleasure. She rocked her hips experimentally, the motion causing Klaus' breath to catch in his throat.

He slid out briefly before pushing back into her, the motion creating the most delicious friction between their bodies. She laced her fingers through his hair, moving her hips to meet his as his steady thrusts continued. The tension in her belly began to tighten with every motion as her head spun with desire and everything that was _Klaus._

She rolled her hips to his, groaning as he hit a sweet spot in her. He wrapped her leg around his waist, changing the angle to where he could thrust deeper into her. Her cries of passion encouraged him, his thrusts beginning to speed up as the stirrings of his orgasm began to appear.

"Klaus," she murmured, pulling his head down to crush her lips with his.

She whimpered into his mouth, crying out as he continued to steadily pump into her. All that could be heard was the sound of their bodies moving in sync together.

He felt her walls began to clench around her, the tell-tale sign of her climax building. He broke the kiss, buried his head in her curls and began to pound ferociously into her. She cried out, the tension in her belly tightening as she continued to chase that high.

"Come for me," Klaus groaned once more into her ear, sending her over the edge.

She cried out as her orgasm hit, sending shockwaves throughout her entire body. Her body trembled violently, the spasms causing Klaus' own orgasm to hit. He spilled into her, pumping still as she clenched around. His body shook against her and he grunted into her neck, the guttural sound being music to Caroline's ears.

They laid there, catching their breath as Klaus rolled off her. She hesitantly looked at him, unsure what to say. By the look in Klaus' eyes, he felt the exact same.

Wow.

That was by far, the best sex that Caroline had ever had. Beating every single time over the past five years with Tyler, hands down.

Klaus watched her with guarded eyes, his lips pressed together thoughtfully as he reached out and skimmed a hand down her torso. Her body shook pleasurably, her blood humming once again at his touch.

 _Onetime thing, onetime thing_ , her brain screamed at her.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Caroline sighed, rolling on to her side as she cuddled up to him.

"Just hold me," she commanded, too tired to assess the situation.

His arm curled around her waist, his naked flesh pressed flushed against her pleasurably. He pressed an affectionate kiss against her temple, the motion both worrying and thrilling to her.

How the hell was she ever going to resist him now?

* * *

 **Well... THAT was rousing! So, thoughts? What do we think is going to happen next? What the heck is going on in Klaus' head? Do we reaaaallly think that Caroline is going to be able to resist this hunk of a man? Do we really think Klaus can stick to his "not serious" relationship stance from the past chapters? Please review!**

 **Things to look forward to the next chapter: more M-rated goodness, an awkward convo, A Klaus POV, and a HOLY SHIT I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING plot twist :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	12. When the Morning Comes

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for the kind words for the last chapter! Seems like everybody liked it :)**

 **Here is chapter 12! I almost held out until I hit 200(!) reviews, but I'm not that mean lololol**

 **Hope you enjoy (non-smut people, avert your eyes at the beginning)**

 **Unbeta'd so please excuse any errors!**

* * *

Caroline's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun streamed through her window. Her head thudded with a dull ache, her mouth slightly dry from the alcohol. She became very aware of her state of undress and that a pair of soft lips were currently placing feather-light kisses down her bare back.

"Klaus?" she murmured, sighing contently as he rubbed his stubble against her spine in response.

His lips continued to trail down her back, teeth nipping slightly at the curve of her hip. She moaned quietly, stretching her arms above her as his ministrations continued to send shocks of arousal to her core. Squealing excitably as Klaus abruptly pushed her onto her back, Caroline bit the bottom of her lip as she watched his lips continue to press hot kisses across her belly.

"What are y-"

"Shhh," he interrupted, his lips never leaving her skin.

Her body shuddered pleasurably at the sensation the vibrations of his voice left on her skin. She snapped her mouth shut, ignoring the tiny inkling of common sense that her brain was trying to tell her.

She really should get up and pretend that none of last night and this morning happened, but her body was just begging to be ravished by him one more time.

He pulled her legs apart gently, his lips bypassing her center and dropped down to her thigh. She whined, bucking her hips towards his smirking mouth. He ignored her, continuing to trail kisses down her thigh. Once he arrived at her kneecap, he lifted up her leg and pressed an open-mouth kiss to the back of it. Caroline never thought that was a particularly erogenous zone for her, but the heat pooling in her belly at his ministration said otherwise.

He looped her leg over his shoulder as his mouth began its ascent up her leg. She moaned quietly, her core throbbing as his teeth nibbled on the inside of her thigh. He reached the apex of her thighs, still ignoring her center as he began to bite and suck on the sensitive skin between her wet heat and thigh.

"Klaus," she groaned, her voice coming out raspier than both of them expected.

He hummed in response, licking a trail up her inner thigh. Her body shivered, the tension in her belly increasing.

"Stop teasing," she gasped, bucking her hips towards his face.

He looked up at her, his heated gaze causing a stab of arousal to her slick heat.

"Please."

Apparently that was all he needed to hear, as Klaus licked lightly at her dripping folds. Caroline threw back her head, her hips jerking of their own accord. He continued to lap at her core, ignoring her clit as it continued to throb insistently. Caroline continued to gasp out her pleasure, covering her mouth with her hands at her orgasm continued to solidly build.

"Klaus," she whined, biting her bottom lip as her hips rubbed against his face.

His stubble tickled against her thighs, the prickly sensation sending her reeling. He inserted a finger into her, his tongue finally making contact with her aching clit. He hooked his fingers, stroking her walls as she let out a loud moan, her hips twitching against his face. He sucked gently at her clit, causing her to struggle for breath.

Klaus continued to thrust his fingers into her, watching her with hooded eyes. Caroline's eyes were closed as she rolled her hips to meet his thrusts, biting her lip as she neared her climax. The tension in her belly tightened considerably, her inner walls clamping down on his fingers as a sign of her impending orgasm.

Burying his face in her folds, Klaus' lips clamped down on her clit and sucked. Caroline shrieked, her hips violently jerking at his ministration. She opened her eyes and looked down at Klaus, the seductive gaze in his eyes pushing her over the edge. She cursed under her breath, panting her release as Klaus continued to coax her through her orgasm. Her body hummed against his lips as he licked up the evidence of her orgasm, a wicked smile plastered across his lips.

She grinned back at him, feeling completely sated as his lips made it their way up her body, stopping to kiss her neglected breasts. She sighed at the gesture, him enveloping a nipple with his lips and flicking it with his tongue as his thumb caressed her other breast. He released her breast with a pop, his lips continuing their ascent to her mouth. Kissing her briefly, Caroline moaned in his mouth as the taste of herself lingered on his tongue.

"Hi," he murmured, breaking the kiss.

She beamed back at him, ignoring her subconscious telling her to get up. "Morning."

He just smiled back, running a hand through her tangled blonde curls that were splayed across her pillow.

"Do you uh- need me to uh-," Caroline began, gesturing to his thick erection that was pressed against her thigh.

Klaus shook his head, the tips of his ears turning red. "I just really wanted to do that."

Caroline flushed, a slow smile spreading across her face at his confession. He smirked back at her, pressing a kiss to her lips before rolling off her.

"Breakfast?" he asked, looking over the edge the bed for his boxers.

Caroline froze at his suggestion, the dark cloud of doom looming over her head.

Her experience with Klaus was meant to be just a one-time thing.

A "get it out of my system before I explode" experience.

She'd be lying if she said that her body wasn't already aching for his touch again. But she _just_ broke up with Tyler. She needed time to mourn that, even if she had checked out of that relationship a long time ago.

Plus, Klaus wasn't one to do relationships, but she was. It would just be better off for both of them if they pretended that last night (and this morning) didn't happen. For the sake of her sanity and their friendship at least. On the other hand, the idea of facing any type of rejection from Klaus was unbearable.

He was an addiction that she couldn't afford to have.

So, it was up to her to bite the bullet and end it before he could have the chance.

"Um, I'm late for work," Caroline responded, ignoring his questioning look.

She looked for her top and shorts on the floor, wrapping herself in a bed sheet to conceal her naked body from him. Klaus had stood up already and was facing her, his boxers slung low on his hips.

She pointedly avoided his gaze, continuing to root around the floor for her clothes.

"Okay," he began slowly. "Lunch?"

Caroline stopped looking around, biting her lip contemplatively. She peered up at Klaus through her lashes, her fingers tightening on her sheet as she pulled it protectively closer to her body. She was feeling extremely vulnerable, stark naked wrapped up in a sheet under his inquisitive stare.

"Listen, Klaus," she began, ignoring how his face seemed to wince at her tone.

"Last night was...amazing," she continued, letting her control slip for a minute as she flashed him a smile.

The corners of Klaus' mouth tilted upward as he moved past the bed and headed towards her. Her face heated up at the predatorily way he was staring at her, wanting nothing more than to drop the sheet and let him have his way with her yet again.

"Indeed it was," he assured her, leaning down and placing an affectionate kiss on her lips.

She hummed approvingly in his mouth, his fingers curling on her hips as he pulled her closer to him. He pulled away, pressing a kiss on her forehead as she fought to control her heartbeat.

"But it can't happen again."

There was a pause and Klaus released her hips with a deep sigh. She opened her eyes, peeking up at him nervously. His lips were pressed together in a thin line, his jaw set, and his dark gaze was unreadable. Her fingers twisted nervously in her sheet, biting her lip as she watched him quietly.

"Why not?" he asked, his voice low and confused.

Caroline sighed, bypassing him as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She patted the spot next to her, watching as Klaus stiltedly sat down next to her.

"I just got out of a five-year relationship," Caroline began, focusing her attention on the wall in front of her.

"Last night was _great_ , seriously. But, I know you don't do serious, and to be honest, I don't want to rebound on to you."

"What's wrong with that?" Klaus asked, picking her chin up with his fingers. "I'm always up for a constant need to rebound."

Caroline's lips went dry at the devilish look in his eyes.

"It's not fair to you," she mumbled.

He shrugged. "I think it's perfectly fair if I know what I'm getting into."

"You don't do relationships," Caroline gestured between them. "And I do."

"But I could," Klaus interrupted, sounding more hesitant than his voice was trying to convey.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You could, but I don't want to ruin this."

"This?"

"This-" Caroline gestured between themselves again. "This friendship."

"Friendship," Klaus echoed, the words sounding hollow falling from his lips.

She nodded, looking at him carefully. "We are friends aren't we?"

Klaus pressed his lips together, looking at her carefully. He nodded once, snapping his head back to the wall.

"Yes, of course."

Caroline continued to watch him, unconvinced. "So we agree? Just friends? Who had one amazing night?"

Klaus let out a sigh, looking at her. She was caught off guard by the look in his eyes. There was a glint of vulnerability mixed _is that hurt?_ but the rest was masked with an emotion she still couldn't decipher.

"Friends."

Caroline smiled back at him, her heart falling slightly at his grim attempt of returning it. Klaus stood up, silently gathering his clothes to redress. The silence between them was palpable, her wanting nothing more than to crawl into a little ball under the bed and hide from life for the next year.

"My shirt?" he asked, looking under her comforter.

Caroline bit her lip, thinking about last seeing it when her face suddenly flushed. "It's in my entry way."

She watched him cautiously, as if she was waiting for him to do something other than act completely stoic. Klaus nodded slightly, an impish grin tugging at his lips.

"I remember that very clearly," his voice taking on a low, sexual tone.

Caroline's body acted accordingly as a stab of arousal flushed to her core. Pressing her thighs together firmly, she avoided Klaus' smirking look.

"Shut up," she murmured.

His grin just grew.

She got up and pushed past him with a sigh, pretending he wasn't checking her out as he followed her out to the entryway. She located his shirt quickly, her face stained red as she found it on top of a lamp. Handing him the shirt, she averted his gaze as he put it on. She didn't exactly trust herself to watch him dress without the desire of ripping his clothes back off.

"So, friends?" she asked again, watching him put his wallet in his back pocket.

Klaus' gaze froze slightly, before he relaxed it. Flashing her a small, quick smile, he nodded.

"There's a press conference this week at Town Hall," Caroline reminded him. "Coffee after?"

He nodded again, his silence nagging at her. She offered him a bright smile, knowing he was unable to resist it. Sure enough, he smiled right back at her. His face was still tight with tension, and his smile was awkward, but Caroline figured that he just felt super uncomfortable with his one night stands and staying over.

"I'll call you later?" she asked, mentally smacking herself for how lame that sounded.

"Of course," he murmured, finally deciding to use his vocal cords.

She beamed at him, reaching for the doorknob. She started turning it and-

"Just one more thing," he said, yanking her hand and pulling her into his arms.

He kissed her deeply, as if he was trying to memorize the feel of his lips on hers. She gasped into his mouth, pulling his head down to hers firmly. Her mind spun with desire, her body humming up against his. He nipped at her bottom lip one last time and pulled away.

Placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, Klaus squeezed her arms gently. She closed her eyes briefly, opening when his lips left her forehead. She felt strangely cold as he let go of her arms, walking towards her door without a look back.

"Bye, love."

With that he was gone and Caroline was left feeling strangely empty.

"It's Caroline," she called feebly to the door, her head spinning with confusion.

What did she just do?

* * *

Klaus stalked past his doorman, ignoring the older man's greeting. His head was lost in thoughts of Caroline and everything that had happened between them since the night before. Never in a million years would he had expected to end up at her place last night, with her wrapped in his arms, sighing in ecstasy.

He was expecting to feel awkward the next morning, not used to staying over with his nightly conquests. But it had been a long time for him, and her body was so delicious. The little sighs and delectable moans she gave out this morning drove him crazy and he longed to be sheathed inside her once more. It felt right, waking up with her wrapped in his arms. Like something that he did every single morning.

But like she said, he didn't do relationships.

And, she just got out of a five year relationship that had ended in a broken engagement.

He didn't know what to expect that morning when the fog lifted and reality settled in, but her initial rejection of something more stung more than he was willing to admit.

Klaus had to be fair though, she was newly single and his track record with relationships were with minimal success, practically nonexistent.

Perhaps she was doing him a favor.

Then why did he feel so rejected?

"Brother?"

Klaus snapped out of his thoughts, confused to see Elijah and Enzo waiting by his apartment door staring at him expectantly.

"What are you doing here?" Klaus asked, fishing in his jeans for his keys.

He unlocked the door, holding it open as the two men let themselves into the entry hall.

"It's Monday morning," Enzo replied, heading straight for Klaus's kitchen. "Breakfast time."

Klaus groaned inwardly. He and Elijah had a standard Monday morning breakfast at his apartment to catch up. Their other brothers were usually invited but Kol was normally still hung-over and Finn was too busy in the mornings with his kids. When Rebekah and Enzo began dating, the British man had taken it upon himself to invite himself for the free food.

"Yes, please help yourself to my food," Klaus called after Enzo, rolling his eyes at Enzo's bright reply that he would.

"You look troubled, brother," Elijah remarked, looking at him thoughtfully.

He avoided his brother's inquisitive stare, making his way into the kitchen to make himself a calming cup of tea. Enzo had already begun the makings of a full English breakfast, frying eggs in the pan as he searched for a can of beans in the cupboard.

"Where's the beans?"

Klaus shook his head. "I must have forgotten to replace the ones we used last week."

Enzo made a face. "Well, I guess we will have to make do."

He didn't respond, settling his kettle on a burner and turning it on high. Enzo and Elijah looked at each other concernedly at his lack of reaction. Klaus reached for his tea mug, lost in his thoughts about the blonde spitfire who put his world on edge.

"Okay, I can't take it anymore," Enzo said, interrupting Klaus' thoughts. "What is with you?"

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked, frowning.

Enzo rolled his eyes, a whole lot like his sister did when she was exasperated with him.

"You're distracted, still in last night's clothes, forgot about breakfast, and- Holy shit," Enzo stopped suddenly, a wry grin growing on his face.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at him. "What?"

"Who is the lucky lady, mate?"

Klaus scoffed, walking past him to pull the whistling kettle off the burner. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He poured the scalding water into his mug, playing with the tea bag anxiously as he avoided Elijah and Enzo's cat-ate-the-mouse smiles.

"When we spoke last night, you were headed to Donovan's," Elijah mused, pulling a chair out at the kitchen table.

"Your point?"

"Must have been a good night if you just returned back this morning," Enzo continued nonchalantly, scooping eggs out of the frying pan.

Klaus just nodded, dipping his tea bag back into his mug thoughtfully. Elijah and Enzo exchanged exasperated glances until Enzo reached over and plucked the mug out of his hands.

"Do that again and I will tear out your lung," Klaus growled, yanking his mug back in his hands.

"And he's back." his brother quipped.

"What happened last night, mate?" Enzo asked, pushing a plate of food in front of him.

He rolled his eyes, the exchange starting to feel a little too schoolgirl for him. Sipping at his mug, he closed his eyes in bliss at the taste for a moment.

"Caroline Forbes," was all he muttered out.

"You shagged her?" Enzo asked, a grin growing across his face. "Excellent!"

Klaus glared at him, turning his dark look to Elijah who was fighting a smile.

"Don't get your knickers in a wad," Klaus warned. "I'm not giving you any dirty details."

Enzo rolled his eyes, shoveling food into his mouth. Elijah wrinkled his forehead in confusion.

"I thought Miss. Forbes was engaged."

"Was," Klaus replied, grimacing at the hot tea as it slid down his throat.

"It's about time you shagged her," Enzo remarked, interrupting. "You've fancied her for what? Two years now?"

"Is that true, Niklaus?" Elijah asked, folding his hands on top of the table.

"The shagging or fancying? Because I assure you, dear Elijah, that both are true."

"Mate, how are you going to give my sister children if I cut off your testicles?" Klaus growled, his stormy look shooting daggers at Enzo.

The dark-haired man just grinned impishly back at him.

Klaus continued to glare at Enzo before turning to Elijah. "I wouldn't say fancy per se. She's attractive, I'm attractive, and when-"

"He's fancied her forever, Elijah," Enzo cut in, smirking at Klaus' groan.

The corner of his brother's lips tilted in amusement, watching Klaus send death glares to the blissfully unaware dark-haired man.

"You'd think a little bit of sex would cheer you up," Enzo remarked.

Klaus sighed. "Not that it's any of your business, but it did. And now that's done and I'm moving on."

"You don't look like it cheered you up."

"It's early, and I'm still waking up," Klaus gestured towards his cup flippantly.

"Really? Because I find a bout of morning sex with your sister really energizes me-" Enzo began. "Perhaps Caro-"

"How do you think Rebekah is going to like you after I remove your teeth?" Klaus retorted, making the dark-haired man chuckle.

"Niklaus," Elijah chastised.

Klaus sent Elijah an annoyed glare, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. He picked up his fork and shoved a bite of food into his mouth, the food instantly comforting him.

"You burned the bottom of these," he mumbled, taking another bite.

Enzo and Elijah chuckled, both of them digging into their food. The room was silent for a minute, all parties occupied with their food and thoughts. Klaus set down his fork, reaching his tea mug and played with the tea bag string.

"She, uh, says she wants to stay friends."

Enzo and Elijah exchanged surprised looks, shocked at his rare hint of vulnerability.

"Isn't that what you want?" Elijah asked.

Klaus shrugged. "Yes, of course. I suppose my pride was wounded since she came to the conclusion before I could."

Enzo snorted. "You fancy her."

"We've discussed this before," Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes. "She's a passing fan-"

Enzo shook his head before Klaus could finish his sentence.

"No, I mean you really _fancy_ her."

"That's preposterous," Klaus remarked, frowning at him.

"I agree with Enzo, actually," Elijah chimed in.

"Have you two gone mad?" Klaus thundered.

The two men chuckled briefly, pushing away their plates as they faced the murderous man at the end of the table.

"Mate, you've been going on and on about this Forbes woman for years. You finally get your one shot, and then your mood is absolutely foul after she tells you that she'd rather stay friends. Your pride is fine," Enzo dissected, reveling in the ever growing panic in Klaus' face. "You're smitten."

Klaus sat there, digesting Enzo's words. His palms were sweaty as he ran old conversations with Caroline through his mind. The devastating curve of her lips etched in his brain, the sound of her laugh sending him reeling, and how he longed to hear it almost every day.

How he'd do anything to bury himself back in her and lose himself to her over and over.

Fuck.

"Shit," Klaus whispered, dropping his fork on his plate with a clang.

Enzo and Elijah were smirking victoriously at him, the realization having crept on his face.

"It's about time. Even Stiffy over here finally found a woman to take mercy on him," Enzo laughed, jerking his thumb in Elijah's direction.

"I beg your pardon," Elijah responded, appalled.

Enzo rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest. "So what now?"

Klaus blinked at him, shaking his head slightly. "Not sure what I can do."

Enzo's grin broadened, leaning towards him. "Just do what I did to get your sister. Make yourself completely irresistible to her. Lean in a little closer, touch her unnecessarily. It's obvious she's attracted to you. She won't be able to resist you."

Klaus curled his lips in disgust at the mention of his sister and Enzo, but he did think Enzo had a good point.

"Seduce her until she cracks," he murmured, Enzo nodding his head vigorously.

"Be her friend, do whatever she wants, but just kick it up a notch."

Klaus nodded, a slow smile blooming across his face as everything started to become clear.

He was going to be the best friend Caroline Forbes ever had.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the loud protesting of his phone as it rang. He reached for it, his brow wrinkling in confusion as he saw the Star's editor's name splashed across it. He wasn't due for work until later that morning, and his boss rarely called him.

"I have to take this," Klaus muttered, pressing the green "talk" button.

"Alaric, mate, what's up?"

* * *

Caroline breezed through the Herald's office entrance, immediately spotting Katherine's mop of chestnut curls. She was bent over Davina Claire's desk, both of them whispering. Probably something about Hayley Marshall who was down in sports. The woman had quite the loose reputation, making her Katherine's favorite gossip topic.

She immediately made her way over to the girls, yanking Katherine's elbow as she yelped, calling a sorry to Davina over her shoulder as she pulled her away.

"The hell, Care?" Katherine hissed, tugging her arm back with a glare. "I hope you can pop shoulders back into sockets."

Caroline drug her into her office, shutting the door behind her and releasing her best friend. Katherine glared at her, massaging her arm gently where Caroline had clamped down on it.

"I know, I know, I'm so sorry," Caroline apologized, her voice coming out pleadingly. "But if I don't tell you now I will explode."

Katherine let go of her arm, reaching for Caroline's as she noticed the stressed look on her face. "Oh my God, who died?"

"Tyler and I broke up," Caroline blurted out.

A gasp fell out of the brunette's lips and her eyes widened in surprise. "Caroline-"

"And I kind of, totally had sex with Klaus last night after it happened," Caroline finished, clenching her eyes shut.

"YOU WHAT?" Katherine burst, her jaw dropping nearly to the ground.

Caroline groaned, dropping herself into her chair as Katherine continued to process her confession.

"Oh my God," Katherine gasped, blinking. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know," Caroline whined, her voice muffled by her hands. "I was drunk and we were making out, and it felt really _good_ to kiss him. Next thing I knew we were at my house, and we decided to not do anything, so we slept. And then I woke up in the middle of the night and was cuddling me and he felt really _really_ good, so we just kind of did it."

"I was talking about Tyler, but oh my God Care," Katherine threw herself into the chair across from Caroline's. "I can't believe it."

"It gets worse," Caroline groaned. "I totally blew him off this morning and I think he's kind of mad."

"Wait, hold up," Katherine interrupted, waving her hand impatiently. "You blew off Klaus? The lady-killer?"

"After another mind-blowing orgasm," Caroline sighed, rubbing her face exhaustedly.

"Well, that answers my question about how good he is," Katherine quipped, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Katherine!"

The brunette shrugged. "Hey, I've been telling you for years to hit that."

Caroline groaned, throwing her head back against her seat, her insides twisting at the reminder of her night with Klaus. Her face flushed slightly as she remembered how his tongue felt pressed against her, his rough, calloused hands touching her skin so tenderly, and his hips-

"You are totally thinking of him right now," Katherine interrupted her daydream, a devilish grin plastered across her face.

"Shut up," Caroline replied meekly, biting her lip.

Katherine beamed at her knowingly, straightening her back as her face grew serious. "What happened with Tyler?"

She shrugged, exhaling deeply. "Turns out he never wanted to marry me. He thought asking me to marry him was the right thing to do, and he's been ignoring the problem ever since we got engaged. It's over."

"So he's _not_ cheating on you?" the brunette asked with a raised eyebrow.

Caroline shook her head quietly, suddenly downcast at the reminder of her broken engagement.

"Huh," Katherine mused. "I really thought that Marshall bitch down in Sports was trying to get her talons in him."

Caroline glared at her. "Thanks."

"Just being honest," she responded, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. "You deserve better than a boring, weak, piece of shit like him."

Caroline chuckled sardonically. "Thanks, Kat."

"So...Klaus," Katherine began, and Caroline shook her head firmly.

"Can we not go there yet? I'm still trying to process everything," she begged her, shooting soft eyes to the skeptical woman.

Katherine nodded, getting up to hug her softly. "Of course, Care."

Caroline sighed into her arms, feeling the stress lift off her shoulders. She really should have taken the day off from work. Everything with Tyler and Klaus was really twisting her nerves, and she was pretty positive that her blood pressure was through the roof. Eventually, she was going to have to discuss Klaus with Katherine, but that wasn't a subject she wasn't ready to touch.

Like, ever.

She still couldn't get the strange, downcast look on his face out of her mind, and it made her even more nauseous when she thought about her being the cause of it.

There was a knock on her door, and they pulled apart as Jenna stormed in her office.

"I have an announcement," her boss began, not bothering with greetings.

Caroline and Katherine exchanged confused looks.

"Thanks to a lack of newspapers being sold, we've lost half of our advertising backers," Jenna began, and Caroline's heart sank. "We can't run the paper anymore."

"Oh my God," Katherine whispered, underlying worry in her voice. "What happens next?"

"There is a solution however," Jenna continued, as if Katherine said nothing. "We are consolidating with another newspaper as of this morning."

"Which newspaper?" Caroline asked, clenching her fists together.

Jenna glared at her for interrupting. "The Chicago Star."

Caroline's stomach jumped to her throat, and her heart beat frantically at the news.

The Star was Klaus' paper.

"They will be moving into our quarters over the next couple of days, but we will have to share some offices," Jenna explained, a menacing smile growing across her face.

Caroline's mouth went dry as her brain screamed in horror.

Surely, she can't mean-

"Since you struggled _so_ hard with the Mikaelson article and "absolutely couldn't do it", you get the honor of sharing your office with Klaus Mikaelson," Jenna's words echoing through Caroline as her body went numb with shock.

"I'm sure you two will get along just peachy."

With that, Jenna spun on her heel and stormed out of the office. Caroline stood rooted to the spot as Katherine looked at her sympathetically.

"Care-"

Caroline shook her head firmly, swallowing heavily as the weight of Jenna's words fully hit her.

"Oh, fuck."

* * *

 **MUAHAHAHAHA**

 **Soooo, thoughts? What do we think of the twist? Klaus' epiphany? Did we like the breakfast with Enzo and Elijah? How awesomely awkward do we think its about to be with Klaroline? What do we think of Enzo's idea on how to get Caroline? Please review, it helps me see what you are all liking/not liking/have questions about in the story :) And it's a huge motivator too :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	13. Close Quarters

**Hey guys! Sorry this is so late, but I wanted to finish writing the whole story this week so that I can concentrate on a little something I wanna do for AU week! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews :) I really appreciate each and every one of them :). So, I think we are going to round this story out with an even 18 chapters, so the plot is definitely about to move fast.**

 **Kind of a filler chapter, but we do have some fun Klaroline in this chapter mixed in with Katherine.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Caroline nervously fiddled with her notebook, looking out of the corner of her eye at Klaus. He was sitting across the room facing her, his head buried in notes on his desk from a conference the day before.

It had taken a few days, but her- well- _their_ office had finally been fixed up, now able to accommodate both of them comfortably.

Well.

As comfortable as two people who had a one night stand could be.

Things had been...interesting between them.

There was something off about Klaus. Of course she could always chalk it up to him nearly losing his job with the newspapers consolidating, but there was something else. He acted like nothing had happened between them, which she was relieved about, but he was just acting...weird.

He was kind of...strangely sweet.

Which is _not_ the Klaus Mikaelson she was used to.

He did what she asked him, proofreading her articles before she sent them off. He didn't get in her way, or try to do anything drastic to their office. She had decorated it the way she had wanted years ago, thank you very much. No Klaus was going to deter her from her office theme. Fighting was rare between them, besides the usual daily squabbles about coffee versus tea.

However, she didn't know if it was because her brain went out the door around him, but every single time Klaus spoke to her, it was kind of...sensual.

The way his eyes lingered on her they talked, how they darkened when she bit her lip. How sometimes he just seemed to brush his fingers against hers when passing her a pencil or a paper, it was just electrifying.

Caroline swore her body was a traitor.

Katherine continued to ask for details about their hook up, which Caroline refused to confess. She'd been avoiding girls nights for the past two weekends in a row to abstain from being persuaded to spill the dirty details. But that still didn't stop Katherine from cracking innuendos and jokes whenever she came in. Thankfully, Klaus took them all in good stride.

Looking up from her notes, she met Klaus' eyes and blushed at the way his gaze seemed to cut through to her. Clearing his throat, he tore his gaze away from her suddenly, leaving her feeling unsteady.

"Caroline?"

She straightened up, offering his oblivious figure a friendly smile, letting his voice wash over her. "Yes?"

"Do you have the number for the Mayor's press secretary? I need a quote clarification."

He didn't even look up this time. She slumped over her desk, disappointed at his confusing actions.

"Yeah, it's in here somewhere."

Flipping through the pages of her datebook, she noticed Klaus come over to her desk, leaning behind her. He settled himself closer, placing a hand in front of her datebook as he propped himself up over her to get a closer look at her desk. He leaned in over her back, his breath softly caressing her blonde curls. She shivered inwardly, goose bumps raising up on her skin as she became all too aware of exactly how close he was next to her.

"Do you happen to have his assistant's number also?" he spoke into her ear quietly, running his hand nonchalantly through her curls as he pushed them behind her ear.

She blinked at her desk, her mind confusedly trying to make sense of his sudden close quarters. Licking her dry lips, she hesitantly looked up at him. His blue eyes were blazing. Sucking in a low breath, oxygen seemed to leave her brain at the sudden nearness of his face. His plump, raspberry lips were pressed together as he looked at her expectantly. She let out a light sigh, swallowing heavily as Klaus' gaze dipped down to glance at her lips.

Heat flooded her core as she remembered how soft his lips felt against hers, the talent he had with that tongue of his. She clenched her thighs together, clearing her throat as she looked back down at her datebook.

"Both of them are here," she said, her voice slightly shaking.

She would have offered to write them both down but she's pretty sure none of it would have been legible.

Klaus hummed in thanks, leaning in even closer to reach for a sticky note that was on her desk. He reached for the pen in her hand, his fingers brushing across hers in the slightest touch. Her face immediately turned crimson, cursing her inability to control her body's reactions around Klaus. He didn't seem to notice, taking his sweet time as he continued to write down the numbers. Caroline held her breath, sure that his close proximity would detect her heart's unsteadily thumping at his intoxicating presence.

"Thank you," he breathed, his lips brushing against her ear as he moved away.

She bit back as moan, glaring at the self-satisfied smirk that he flashed her. He moved back to his desk, leaving Caroline feeling strangely cold. Klaus sat down at his desk and continued working, seemingly oblivious to the tizzy that he has put Caroline's body in.

She sighed heavily, shaking her head as she turned to her computer. There were a few emails to answer, mostly quotes from the Peaceful Protesters of Chicago's administration. Try as she may, Jenna continued to force Caroline on those articles, pushing for more than one a month.

Klaus had been tasked with gathering research on the latest press conferences, but they were taking turns on churning out those articles. For someone who rarely takes notes at press conferences, Klaus had the best memory. His research was very thorough, and the notes that he did take, were impeccable. Even though he wasn't a fan of being a journalist, he was quite good at it.

He was currently putting together all the notes from the last press conference, his assignment for the week. Klaus had offered last week to take the protester article off her hands, but Jenna had thrown a fit at the meeting and quickly shut that down.

Speaking of Jenna.

"Did you get that email from Jenna this morning?"

Klaus looked up briefly from his notes, shaking his head before continuing to write something down. She rolled her eyes, figuring that his social niceties for the day were over.

"What was it about?"

Or not.

"Oh, you know the usual. 'Caroline, your article last week was crap so now you must rewrite it and an addition to another before we have to write a retraction and apologize for a misprint.'"

Klaus looked up with an annoyed expression. "What did you do to piss her off? Your article was brilliant."

Caroline shrugged, blushing a tad at his compliment.

"She's been on my ass ever since I refused to do the article on you and your family," Caroline admitted, carefully watching Klaus' expression.

To her surprise, he didn't react violently or even much at all. His jaw tightened, but rolled his eyes instead of bursting with anger.

"Even though the newspapers consolidated anyways?"

Caroline threw up her hands.

"That's what I said to Kat!"

"Said what to me?" Katherine asked, letting herself into their office.

Caroline sighed and narrowed her eyes playfully at her best friend. "Ever heard of knocking?"

Katherine plopped down in her usual chair in front of Caroline's desk and angled it to where she was sitting facing both Klaus and Caroline.

"I would have but I listened outside the door for a few minutes," she responded, flipping her curls over her shoulders. "I didn't hear any moaning or groaning so I figured I was safe."

"Katherine!" Caroline shrilled, glaring at her.

Klaus just arched his brow at the brunette. "That doesn't mean nothing could be happening."

"Oh really?" Katherine asked, looking interestedly between the two people. "Are you two one of those quiet couples?"

Klaus opened his mouth to answer but Caroline cut him off. "Don't answer that."

The brunette smirked amusedly at Caroline's blushing face and Klaus' blasé expression.

"Can we please change the subject?" Caroline snapped, groaning inwardly. "And we aren't a couple."

Klaus and Katherine both rolled their eyes at that. Katherine more annoyed with her constant denials of liking Klaus, and him probably more annoyed with the awkward conversation with the feisty brunette. She had to give him credit, he didn't let Katherine rile him up with her comments, even when she was being particularly crude.

"What were you two talking about before I came in here?" Katherine asked, picking at her nails disinterestedly.

"Jenna," Caroline replied, leaning back in her chair.

Klaus seemed to recognize the fact that he wasn't going to get any work done, so he put down his notes and leaned back in his chair too.

Katherine scoffed. "Did you know that yesterday she had the audacity to ask me to dig up dirt on Elijah and the company, just like she did with you?"

"You're kidding," Caroline scoffed, shaking her head.

Klaus growled under his breath. "Loathsome woman."

"Yeah, Elijah and I had a great laugh last night before having sex on her desk after she left last night."

"Katherine!"

Klaus grimaced at Caroline's shriek, his lips curling in distaste at the visual of his brother remotely doing anything unclothed. Katherine grinned at them slyly, playing with a chestnut-colored curl.

"You asked me to change the subject."

"Not to _that."_

"I really didn't need to hear that about my brother," Klaus remarked.

Katherine just shrugged.

"Did you really have sex on Jenna's desk?" Caroline asked curiously.

She smirked and leaned forward. "Want to know all the details?"

Caroline arched her brow in intrigue, leaning forward and completely forgetting about Klaus sitting on the other side of the room, his face twisted in disgust.

"I know it's just us girls in here, but I draw the line at getting details on my brother's sexual prowess when I'm at work," Klaus chimed in, grimacing.

Caroline smiled sympathetically, waving off Katherine's retort. "Touché."

"I'm just saying, you guys should try it sometime. There is something extremely hot about getting it on in an office where anybody could walk in," Katherine chimed, inspecting the ends of her hair.

Caroline had to admit, that did sound strangely erotic and thrilling. By the darkened look in Klaus' eyes, she could tell he was thinking the exact thing. Her mouth went dry as she fantasized being pressed against the cool wooden texture of her desk, Klaus bent over her while he placed hot kisses to her neck, driving her absolutely crazy with his caresses. The idea of getting caught as she was ravished on the desk by him-

God, she really needed to stop fantasizing about Klaus at work.

"Anyways," she continued. "Can we get back on topic, like why Jenna is so obsessed with your family?"

"Did daddy have an affair and produce her?" Katherine boldly asked, cutting her eyes at Klaus.

Klaus glared at her. "Do you want to live to see my brother again?"

"Ohh you are right, Care. He does look kind of hot when he's all threaten-y and caveman-y," Katherine teased, winking at her.

"Katherine! Filter!" Caroline screeched.

Klaus raised his eyebrows and cast an amused look at Caroline, who blushed and ducked her head under his blazing stare.

"I choose not to use it," Katherine fired back.

"Maybe you should, _Katerina_ ," Klaus shot back, smirking at her annoyed expression.

Caroline sighed, rubbing her face with her palms.

" _Anyways,"_ she continued, waving her hand to turn the attention back to Jenna. "I'm serious. Why is she so hell-bent on destroying your family's life?"

"I haven't a clue, love," Klaus sighed, her stomach flipping a little at the pet name.

"It's Caroline," she shot back with a cheeky smile, flushing at the sexy smirk he flashed at her

"It kind of weird how she this personal vendetta against the company. I used to think it's because you were such a dick-no offense," she continued, cutting her eyes at him apologetically.

"None taken," he shrugged casually, inspecting a piece of lint on his shirt.

"But now it's starting to get fishy," Caroline finished, continuing to study the man in front of her.

Klaus nodded slightly, his lips twisting thoughtfully as he looked down at his desk.

"Do you think she's up to something?" Katherine asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

Caroline shrugged. "I can't think of any reason why she would be trying to do it. The Star and Herald have already consolidated, so there is no "save the paper" mentality."

"Well it's obvious she's threatened by the company," Klaus mused. "But for what purpose?"

Caroline tapped her fingers on her desk, her mind mulling through a multitude of options. Jenna's disdain for the Mikaelson family had seemingly popped up out of nowhere over the past few months. Sure, she had issues with Klaus because he kept swooping in and taking away articles from Caroline and the Herald, but that was a lost cause with the consolidation. Now her vendetta to use Katherine and Elijah's relationship made it all the more confusing.

"She must be hiding something," Caroline breathed. "Some kind of connection to the company, or something."

Klaus looked up. "Like what?"

Katherine got up, pulling Caroline away from her computer. "Scoot, Care."

"What are you doing?"

"Hacking into Jenna's email."

"You can't do that!" Caroline squawked, protesting as Katherine continued to roll her chair away from the computer.

She made a motion to move back to her desk, but Klaus' warm hand clamped down on her wrist and he pulled her over to where he had moved his chair.

"Let her work, love," he murmured into her ear, smirking at the way she shuddered when his breath brushed across her skin.

He didn't bother to move his hand from hers, his thumb stroking the top of it. She peeked at him, unsurprised to see him staring back at her, a tiny smile playing at his lips.

 _This would be so much better if we were naked,_ Caroline thought absently.

"Look at this!"

 _And if Katherine wasn't here._

Klaus and Caroline jolted out of their haze, eyes snapping to see Katherine whirl around and gesture at the screen.

"Jenna's been getting these weird emails every day from a unknown sender," Katherine explained. "Each one with a meeting time."

"Okay..." Caroline trailed off. "So she's getting dealt drugs or having a sexy office affair somewhere, big deal."

Katherine rolled her eyes, turning back to the screen. "But it does show that she is hiding something."

"It still doesn't tell us anything about the Mikaelson obsession," Caroline sighed. "Unless the emails have the word "Mikaelson" in them."

"But it could have something to do with them."

Klaus had been quit throughout the entire exchange, watching Katherine work as he hung out in the background.

"Katerina."

She glared at him. "If you call me that _one_ more time-"

"Is there any way you can hack into the address and figure out the computer and location of the person sending those emails?" Klaus interrupted.

Katherine scowled, but nodded. He pressed his lips together firmly, reaching for his notebook to jot down some notes. Caroline had to admit that the journalist look was very attractive on Klaus, the way his fingers moved swiftly across the page, and how his jaw set in determination.

It reminded her of how concentrated he was in bed.

Oh, _God. STOP._

With that, Caroline slapped her thighs together and sighed, lowering her head to avoid Klaus' questioning gaze. Thank goodness Katherine wasn't looking because she could always read Caroline's mind like a textbook.

"Alright?" he murmured, in that low, irresistible tone of his.

She nodded, chewing on her bottom lip, refusing to look up from the ground. The room was silent for a few minutes, minus the noise of Katherine typing on the keyboard and Klaus' pencil scratching on paper. She cast a side eye at his notebook, jolting suddenly when she realized it wasn't notes that he was writing down. It was a picture.

Specifically, a picture of her.

It was her sitting across the room from him at her desk, chewing on a pen and her face twisted in concentration as she stared down at something in front of her. All of her features were perfectly composed, her hair drawn perfectly right down to a few curls that had a tendency to go awry.

Is this how he saw her?

She seemed lighter in his sketch, like the weight of the world wasn't weighing down on her like it felt in reality.

"Nice picture," Caroline murmured, jerking her head to his notebook.

He looked up in surprise, Caroline expecting him to be defensive. Instead, he just shrugged and smirked at her cockily.

"Can you blame me for wanting to capture beauty and perfection?"

Aaaand his normal, flirtatious self was back.

She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. Klaus grinned back at her, carefully ripping the page from what she assumed was his sketchbook, and handed it to her.

"Don't say I never gave you anything," Klaus teased, closing his sketchbook.

Her heart thudded pleasantly, her cheeks tingeing as she tucked the sketch into her own notebook, and she suddenly desired to ask him if he had done any other previous sketches of her. She peeked at him, surprised to see a shy smile light up across his face. They sat there, grinning stupidly at one another for a moment until Katherine's voice broke up their moment.

"Oh my God."

Their heads snapped up, looking at the dark-haired woman who was staring at the screen in shock.

"What's up?" Caroline asked, edging away from Klaus as she rolled her chair next to her best friend.

"According to this-" she gestured towards a screen that Caroline didn't have any hope of understanding, "The emails are coming from inside Mikaelson Corp."

"What?" Klaus hissed, moving into look at the screen.

He bent over Caroline once more, his scent consuming her as her brain went foggy at his close contact. He placed a small hand on her back, as to steady himself and her skin burned at his touch.

"Someone must be feeding her inside information," Katherine concluded.

"But we don't know that for sure," Caroline supplied. "All we know is that she has a personal vendetta against the company, and that she's meeting up with someone from inside the company."

"What a detestable woman," Klaus groaned. "When is the next meet-up?"

"Um, tomorrow afternoon," Katherine said, clicking back on the email.

"Do we know where?" Caroline asked, leaning into to try to decipher the computer lingo on the screen.

"In-"

"Someone's office there," Klaus finished.

"How did you read that?" she asked, impressed.

Klaus just smirked at her.

"So, what do we do now?" Katherine asked.

"Simple, we follow her," he shrugged, reaching for Caroline's notebook and jotting down the time and address.

Her heart jumped in her throat, hoping he didn't stumble across the page where she had doodled about his "stupidly sexy dimples" the other day.

Sharing an office with him was starting to make her go crazy, she swore.

"I can't tomorrow," Katherine sighed. "Date with Elijah."

"What about you love?" he asked, looking at Caroline earnestly.

Caroline sighed. As unsure as she felt about spending alone time with Klaus, it was high time they got to the bottom of Jenna's vendetta. She didn't trust herself outside the office with him, her body longing to jump him almost every day when they left the office.

But this was bigger than her confusing feelings. It was about his family and their company.

"I'm in."

* * *

 **Thoughts? What the heck is Jenna up to? Do we think it's just a Klaus!lust addiction Caroline has? Or is it something more? Please, please review and give me all your thoughts!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	14. Undercover

**Hey guys! Not much of a wait on this chapter!**

 **Hope you like :)**

* * *

Caroline adjusted her black beanie on top of her blonde curls, casually walking down the sidewalk. She was about a block away from the Mikaelson Corp offices. Klaus said for her to meet him outside, but didn't clarify where exactly. To say she was nervous about their little undercover stunt, was an understatement. Not only was she slightly terrified of what Jenna would do if they were discovered, but she didn't exactly trust herself around Klaus anymore.

Especially after the fantasy she had last night.

Damn hormones.

Caroline walked up to the side of the Mikaelson Corporation building, nervously twiddling her fingers as she looked around her. Klaus was nowhere to be found, of course. She was a few minutes late, unsure what one wears to spy on other people. She'd decided on black jeans, a long-sleeve black top, boots, and a black beanie. She had gotten a few odd looks from those passing by her on the street, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.

A hand latched onto her wrist, yanking her into the alley next to the building. She shrieked in response, her heart thundering in surprise before a warm, familiar hand clapped over her mouth. Her eyes widened when Klaus came into view, his body pressing hers against the brick building. His face was incredibly close, Caroline nearly able to see every single fleck of green and gold in his blue eyes.

"You're late," he murmured, taking his hand off her mouth.

He didn't move away from her, their bodies still pressed up against one another's.

"I had trouble figuring out what to wear," she said, licking her suddenly dry lips.

He flicked his eyes down at her clothes, the corners of his lips tilting in amusement.

"Taking this spying thing seriously, aren't we?" he continued, fingering her beanie.

She rolled her eyes playfully as she slapped at his hand, still making no move to push him off her.

"I wanted to be prepared," she stated, leaning her head back against the brick wall.

"Sweetheart, you do realize this is my family's company. I can walk in without an excuse at anytime," Klaus grinned at her, enjoying the annoyed expression creeping on her face.

"It's Caroline, and why the hell didn't you tell me that before?" she slapped at his shoulder, pushing him away as she whipped her beanie off her head.

"All I did was text you and tell you where to meet!" he responded, grinning at her cheekily.

"You told me to dress inconspicuously!"

"I did," he answered. "Which meant regular clothes, and not 'I'm about to rob a bank' clothing."

She glared at him, her silence acquiescing to his point. He just grinned back at her, lifting a hand to run them through her curls. She flinched, surprised at the affectionate gesture from him. He smoothed down her curls that were messy from her beanie, biting his lip in concentration. Caroline's eyes trailed down to his mouth, pressing her lips together as he continued to stroke her hair softly.

"There," he murmured. "Perfect as always."

Her cheeks tinged pink, throwing him a shy smile when he backed away.

"Thanks," she whispered.

He nodded, ducking his head shyly. She put her hat in her purse, closing it with a snap as Klaus patiently waited.

"So, what now?"

"I saw Jenna go in about ten minutes ago," Klaus began. "This should give her ample time to get up to wherever she's going to be."

"What's the game plane?"

"We walk in, go to the security room, locate Jenna, and then go find and/or confront her," Klaus shrugged.

Caroline shot him a disbelieving look. "It's that simple?"

"Love, this is my family's company. I may not work here, but I do have a sizeable influence on the employees here," he quipped.

"Someone's cocky," she teased. "Okay, Mr. Big Shot, how am I going to get in? I'm not a Mikaelson."

Klaus grin turned wolfish, a gleam forming in his eye. "You're playing the part of my lady of course."

Caroline scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"It's simple really. In order to get in without a pass, you have to pose as my girlfriend," Klaus sighed, flippantly waving his hand as if he was discussing trivial matters.

"Klaus Mikaelson doesn't do girlfriends," Caroline rolled her eyes, not noticing the vulnerable look in his eyes.

"Yes, well," Klaus began, clearing his throat. "As far as Mikaelson Corp. is aware, you're my girlfriend and we are coming to visit my dear old father," he finished, his tone hardening when he mentioned Mikael.

Caroline whipped her head around, blinking at him confusedly. Klaus' jaw was tight with tension, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the brick wall behind her. Hesitantly, Caroline lifted her hand and brushed it gently over his cheek. Klaus jerked in surprised, his questioning look meeting hers. She opened her mouth to say something, the words leaving her as her mind worked in overdrive at the intimacy of the moment.

"We don't have to do this," she finally managed.

Her hand had a mind of its own, continuing to caress his cheek gently. His eyes closed briefly, a drawn-out sigh leaving his lips. He lifted his hand, covering hers with his before gently moving it off his face. He laced their fingers together, brushing a curl out of her face and tucking behind her ear. The moment was easy to get lost in, her head having a tendency to go fuzzy whenever Klaus is involved.

"Yes, we do," he said quietly, squeezing her hand. "Come on."

She followed him in silence, enjoying the way his fingers easily wrapped around hers as he led her to the door. He looked back at her, smiling briefly before opening it to let her in. She walked over the threshold, letting a surprised gasp fall from her lips. Her eyes roved over the huge room, people milling around the lobby as they made their way to their offices. She swallowed heavily, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with the task.

"Come on," he murmured, squeezing her hand soothingly.

She followed him blindly, the corners of her mouth quirking up at all the glares from women who were staring at them in jealously. She knew that Klaus was good-looking, but apparently he seemed to have his own following in the company.

"Someone is jealous," she giggled, poking Klaus' back.

He turned around. "Hmm?"

She gestured towards a particularly glaring brunette. "Someone doesn't look too pleased to see us holding hands."

Klaus flicked his eyes at the brunette, a smirk growing across his face.

"Ah yes, Sophie. The woman who I smiled at once four years ago. She has quite the claim on me sweetheart," he teased, wrapping his arm around her waist comfortably.

She didn't even try to fight him off. "My name is-"

"Ah ah," he tsked. "I'm allowed pet names during this charade."

She cast a glare in his direction, making him grin impishly at her.

"Come along, love," he continued, pulling her over to a desk. "Jane-Anne!"

The secretary looked up from her desk, a smile breaking across her face.

"Klaus Mikaelson, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

Klaus smiled. "Jane-Anne, this is my girlfriend, Caroline Forbes."

Caroline's heart flipped at his words, her jaw dropping at how easily the words seemed to roll off his tongue. The secretary blinked at them, shocked, but a warm smile blooming on her face.

"Oh, Ms. Forbes! We've heard so much about you!"

Caroline coughed slightly, throwing Klaus a pointed look before turning to the woman.

"You aren't the first person to say that," Caroline sighed, smiling at the woman.

The secretary beamed back at her before turning to Klaus.

"So, what can I do for you two?"

"Is my father available?" he asked, looking like he had just sucked on a lemon wedge.

Jane-Anne's eyes widened, but she looked down at her datebook.

"Um, actually he's in a meeting for the next hour or so."

Klaus nodded, his grip on Caroline's back tightening. "Thank you. I think we are going to wait upstairs."

Jane-Anne nodded, tossing an uneasily smile in their direction as Klaus pulled Caroline away.

"She looked uncomfortable," Caroline remarked.

"Yes, well she's one of those that is well-aware of my paternity," Klaus said simply. "It's rare for me to actually want to see Mikael."

"Won't she be suspicious?" Caroline asked, following Klaus down a corridor.

He shook his head. "Doubt it. She probably think I want to introduce you to him."

"Which is even more suspicious," Caroline answered, looking behind her to see Jane-Anne grinning broadly at them.

Klaus just rolled his eyes. "Trust me, love."

She sighed, tightening her grip on his hand. "You're lucky I do."

His answering smile was blinding.

They managed to make it down the hall, stopping abruptly in front of a door marked "Security." Klaus pressed his ear up against the wooden door, pressing a finger against his lips as a means to tell her to stay quiet. She let go of his hand, choosing to slip in front of him to where she could listen inside the room. Klaus' hand curved on to her shoulder, gripping it firmly as he pressed himself against the door.

"What are we doing?" she asked, confused.

Klaus chuckled quietly. "Listening to see if the guards are gone."

Caroline spun around, facing him. She didn't realize how close they were until she was all but flush against his chest. Gulping, she looked at him timidly. Klaus let out a short breath, the hot air ghosting over her lips. Goose bumps rose on her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I don't hear anything," she murmured.

Klaus' tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Me neither."

His eyes looked over her shoulder, widening slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"Kiss me," he ordered, lacing his fingers through her hair.

"What?" she hissed, her eyes falling on his lips.

"I'll explain later."

His lips descended upon hers, crushing her body to his. She gasped into his mouth, his tongue taking advantage of her surprise and thrust into her mouth. Their lips moved in tandem, Klaus tangling his fingers between her silky hair strands. Her mind spun hazily, lost in the feel of his lips moving against her, spreading heat throughout her body.

"Brother!"

Klaus feigned shock, immediately releasing her and backing away. Caroline blinked, suddenly feeling empty as his hands left her body. She looked over at her shoulder, noting the dark-haired man striding towards them with a devilish smirk.

It was-

"Kol," Klaus nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"What a scandal," the man grinned, crossing his arms as he came up to stand next to them.

"Hello, darling," he smirked at Caroline. "You look rather tasty."

"Kol," Klaus growled, reaching and grasping her hand firmly. "Where are your manners?"

"Funny enough, I was just about to ask you the same thing, with you trying to shag this young lady in the middle of the hallway," Kol quipped, winking at her.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We weren't _shagging_."

He just beamed back at her. Biting her lip uneasily, she looked up at Klaus, finding him looking extremely irritated. She didn't know much about this brother of Klaus', just that he was younger and from what she could tell, had Klaus' egotistical personality with Elijah's looks.

"And who might you be?" Kol looked down at her, arching his brow.

"Caroline Forbes," she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.

"You're the-"

"Yes, I know. Klaus has told you all about me," she interrupted, shooting a glare at Klaus' amused expression.

"He didn't tell me how enchanting you were," Kol continued, circling around her. "Well, in not so many words."

She sent Klaus a questioning look, stifling a laugh at his annoyed expression.

"Yes, well, we were very busy, Kol," Klaus said, reaching for her hand.

"I bet you were," Kol implied, mischievously winking at Caroline. "Bekah was right. It was only a matter of time before you finally get the girl."

"I'm not his girl," Caroline growled.

Klaus raised his eyebrow, seemingly to remind her of their cover story.

"I-I mean, we're still trying to become exclusive," she stammered. "Not ready to tell people just yet."

Kol nodded, apparently buying her story. Klaus squeezed her hand encouragingly, pressing a kiss to her curls.

"Well, the security room is empty," Kol stated slyly, winking at Klaus. "They are all in the break room for John's retirement party for the next hour."

"Perfect!" Caroline blurted out.

Kol's grin grew, the roguish gleam in his eye becoming more prominent. "Nik, I think you got a wild one here."

Klaus growled under his breath, lunging for his brother. Caroline jumped in front of him, nervously chuckling as she yanked on Klaus' arm.

"Definitely," she agreed, making Klaus' jaw drop. "Now if you don't mind..."

She trailed off, winking at Kol's delighted expression. Klaus stared at her in amazement, stunned as she opened the door easily, pulling him in with a flirtatious giggle. She shoved him up against the closed door, pressing her body up against his. He caught her in his arms, a smile playing at his lips as she sighed loudly.

"Think he bought it?" she whispered, smacking her palm against the door as if she was in the throes of passion.

"Bought it? I think he's impressed," he muttered, hitting his head against the wall as to continue with the charade.

She grimaced at the thud, slapping the door again.

"How long do you think we have to fake it?" she asked, a low groan coming out of her lips.

"Not long," he continued, throwing his body back against the door.

She giggled at the picture, squealing when he yanked her against him, flipping them around to where she was pressed against the door.

"Gasp really loudly," he mumbled, pressing his lips under her ear.

She didn't have to fake that.

"Say my name," he continued, nipping at her ear.

"Klaus," she moaned, heat pooling at the bottom of her belly.

He nipped at her neck again, her breath running ragged. Somewhere along the lines of faking having sex for Kol's sake, Caroline's body began to enthusiastically response to Klaus' ministrations. Obviously his body felt the same, his own arousal digging into her thigh.

"Do you think-," she panted, "he's still there?"

He stilled against her, blinking at her foggily as she became well aware of the compromising situation they were in.

"Um," he hesitated, dropping his hands from her body.

They accidentally had crept up her shirt.

Whoops.

He listened quietly, shaking his head after a moment. "I think he's gone."

"Good," she breathed, disentangling herself from him.

She sucked in a deep breath, willing her heart and body to calm down. Klaus was watching her with hooded eyes, sending tremors down her back. She cleared her throat and nodded towards the wall of TV screens.

"Shall we?"

Klaus swallowed heavily, walking towards the opposite wall in silence. She followed him just as quietly, slipping into a seat beside him as he began inspecting the screen.

"Do you know how to work this thing?" she asked, gesturing towards the controls.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Caroline, it's like you don't even know me."

She elbowed him in the ribs, thrilling herself at the sound of his chuckle. Klaus clicked around on the control panel, skimming through camera screens. She watched him quietly, enjoying the way his jaw set in determination as he got lost in his work.

"I can't find her," he groaned. "She must be in someone's office."

"Can you get into those cameras?"

He sent her a look. "I'm hurt, love."

Wrinkling her nose at him adorably, Caroline watched Klaus hit a button whilst he continued to smirk at her. The screens flipped, bringing in a whole new batch of security camera visuals. She hummed quietly, her eyes scanning the TVs as she looked for Jenna's familiar figure.

"Oh my God."

"What?" Klaus asked, glancing at her.

"Is that Jenna in-"

"Mikael's office," Klaus finished, pressing his lips in a firm line.

"Zoom!" Caroline shrieked, ignoring his attempts to shush her.

"I am," he hissed, slapping away her hand from the control panel.

Sure enough, Jenna was standing the middle of a grand office. Her back was to the camera, but Mikael was facing her and the camera dead on. His face was twisted into a scowl, whatever she was telling him putting him in a bad mood.

"Can we get volume?" Caroline whispered.

He hit a button, sound immediately filling the room.

 _"I don't know what else you want me to do," Mikael shrugged, fiddling with papers on his desk._

 _Jenna sighed. "Simple. Let me fire Klaus."_

Caroline sucked in a low breath, shooting a look over at Klaus. He rolled his eyes, bored.

"Typical."

 _"You aren't firing my son," Mikael sighed. "It keeps him out of my hair and his mother happy."_

 _"He isn't your son," Jenna snarled._

Klaus' back tensed, his fists clenching at Jenna's bombshell. Caroline placed a soothing hand on his back, biting back a frown when he shrugged it off.

 _Mikael looked bored, his face mirroring Klaus' earlier expression. He ignored Jenna's murderous look, getting up to walk over to her._

 _"Look darling, I'm not going to let you fire Niklaus. I'd have to deal with Esther, and she'd beg for him to have a job here."_

 _"Then let me expose your secret," Jenna exclaimed. "Klaus would be blacklisted everywhere."_

Klaus let out an uncharacteristically shocked gasp. Caroline looked at her concernedly, his eyes trained on the scene unfolding before him. Surely Jenna wasn't talking about Klaus' paternity, having a different father from the one your mother married wasn't a reason to blacklist or even fire someone.

There had to be something he wasn't telling her.

"What secret?"

Klaus help up a finger, gesturing towards the screen.

 _"You aren't going to do that," Mikael stated, a sneer appearing on his face._

 _"Watch me," Jenna snapped, walking away._

 _Mikael grabbed her wrist, yanking her back to him._

 _"Here is what's going to happen, little girl," Mikael snarled. "You're going to go home, pretend this conversation never happened, get up, go to work, and go home. And repeat."_

 _Jenna tugged her wrist free, glaring at him. Her shoulder slumped, and she bypassed him as she sat on the edge of his desk._

 _"I don't understand why you won't leave your wife," she sighed. "I've been your mistress for years and yet, you still won't leave that trollop of a woman."_

There was a strangled noise that filled the air in the security room. Klaus looked at Caroline, his face composed into a perfectly cool mask. He raised his eyes at her briefly as she realized that the noise was coming from her.

The visual of Jenna and Mikael being intimate made her literally want to throw up.

 _"And I don't understand why you are trying to destroy my family," Mikael quipped._

 _"Well, I'm tired of waiting!"_

 _"And quite frankly, I'm tired of you darling," Mikael replied to her outburst. "But I still keep you around to keep things interesting."_

 _"You are an asshole."_

Caroline had to agree with Jenna there.

 _"And you are a bitch who is trying to ruin my life because this isn't enough for you," Mikael continued calmly. "I suggest you quit it."_

 _"I suggest you shut the hell up."_

 _"You love it," Mikael murmured, leaning into Jenna's face._

Oh, gross.

Caroline made a face, burying it into Klaus's shoulder blade. He had a similar look of disgust, but his eyes remained on the screen. Moans and gasps began to come from the speakers and Klaus hit the mute button, his face twisted into a grimace.

"Can you turn that off?" Caroline asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Klaus clicked at the control panel, flipping the camera's back into the usual hallways. He let out a heavy breath, his shoulders slumping as he buried his face in his hands. Caroline watched him nervously, twisting her fingers in her lap as Klaus continued to remain silent.

"Are you okay?"

The question was quiet and concerned.

He looked up, his face devoid of any emotion.

"Of course I am. My family is living up to its blasted name," he snapped. "Now he's running around on my mother since she did the same. Again."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize," Klaus chuckled sardonically. "I can't count on my hand how many mistresses Mikael has had over the past few years."

"Jenna and Mikael," Caroline stated.

She wrinkled her noise, a shiver going down her back.

"Oh, God, it even sounds grosser when saying it."

Klaus chuckled, looking at her with an indecipherable expression.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he apologized, covering her hand with his.

She shrugged. "Just a little bleach to my eyes, and I'll be good," she teased, smiling at the small smirk on his lips.

"Besides," she continued, looking at him carefully. "We're friends."

Klaus' face fell a smidge, but it recovered before Caroline could notice.

"Friends," he echoed hollowly.

She squeezed his hand, getting up. Something was still bothering her though. What exactly did Jenna mean about Mikael's secret? It somehow involved Klaus, but it wasn't about his paternity. She implied that it was something that could utterly destroy his life and career, Mikaelson Corp included.

"What did Jenna mean by his secret?" Caroline asked, watching Klaus tense from the back.

"I assume she mean my paternity," Klaus said flippantly, getting up.

She looked at Klaus, biting her lip when he avoided her gaze.

She shook her head. "No, I think she meant something else."

"You thought wrong," Klaus snapped, his face forming into a familiar, detached mask.

Caroline frowned. "You're really touchy about this."

"I am not," Klaus growled, glaring at her.

She'd never seen Klaus this jumpy before. His face was as neutral as ever, but his hands were shaking slightly, his jaw twitching as he refused to glare at her. It reminded her a lot of what he looked like when he found out about her article.

When she found out about Ansel.

She sucked in a low breath. "This is about Ansel's death."

Klaus didn't respond.

His silence was proof enough.

"Mikael killed Ansel?" Caroline asked, sidling up next to Klaus.

She tried to touch his arm, but he pulled away.

"Klaus, it's okay. You can trust me," she declared, slapping away his arm as he tried to push her away. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You can tell me anything," she whispered, pressing her lips against his shoulder.

He let out a sigh, his upper body folding over as he slumped in defeat. He dropped into a chair, Caroline following suit as she sat down next to him. Her grip on his arm just tightened and she cuddled up next to him.

"Please," she murmured. "Did Mikael kill your father?"

Klaus tensed, before letting out a deep breath.

"No."

Caroline frowned. "Then who did?"

Klaus turned to look at her, his eyes terrified. He wet his lips briefly, clearing his throat as he drew in shaky breath.

"I did."

* * *

 **HOLY CRAP WERE YOU GUY EXPECTING ANY OF THAT? Feel free to send me any and all of your reactions :)**

 **Please review :) Pretty pretty please :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	15. Full Disclosure

**Hey guys! OMG thank you so so so much for all the reviews after the last chapter! I looked at my email and my jaw was legit on the ground. I'm so glad that I managed to pull one over you guys ;) Sorry for the wait, but it's Klaroline AU week, so I wanted to wait for the proper day to post!**

 **So, all will be revealed this chapter! There are some confessions, revelations, and a tiny bit of smutty goodness near the bottom.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The room was so quiet that Caroline swore could hear the laughter from the break room where the retirement party was being held. Klaus was looking at her, his eyes troubled as he watched her reaction.

Or, lack of reaction.

She swallowed thickly, trying to wrap her brain around the words that had tumbled out of his lips.

"Y-You what?" she asked, inwardly slapping herself for the way her voice trembled.

Klaus' face hardened into a cool mask, his eyes cool like steel.

"You heard me," he muttered, looking away.

He was closing himself off, like he always did when things seemed to get intense.

He went to get up, but Caroline pulled him back down. There had to be more to the story. Klaus was a lot of things, but there is no way he murdered his own father in cold blood.

"I need you to explain," she ordered, tightening her grip on his arm. "Please."

Klaus looked back at her, and then away again. Fixating his gaze on the wall, he exhaled, shoulders slumping dejectedly.

"It was an accident," he confessed.

She nodded, seemingly relieved.

"I thought as much," she contributed, snapping her mouth shut at his look.

"I was in Mikael's office one night. Elijah has asked me to fetch him something, and Ansel stormed in. He was angry about something," Klaus continued, screwing his face in contemplation.

Squeezing his arm encouragingly, Caroline waited for him to continue.

"The next thing I know, he's pulling a page out of Mikael's book, calling me weak and a disappointment. He was glad that I never came out as his son, that I'm not a true warrior like the Erikson men," Klaus scowled, the anger prominent on his face.

"Where did that come from?"

Caroline shook her head, unable to comprehend what kind of person would hate their own flesh and blood so much. Mikael's vendetta seemed like nothing compared to the kind of contempt Ansel had for Klaus.

Klaus shrugged. "I didn't understand then, and I still don't. I told him that the only person who wasn't brave enough was him because he wasn't man enough to own up to the fact that I was his son."

"That must have made him angrier," Caroline mused, Klaus nodding in agreement.

He took in a long breath, hesitating before continuing.

"He was extremely volatile after that, yelling and throwing Mikael's files all over the room. The next thing I knew, he was coming after me," Klaus continued in a hushed voice.

Caroline sucked in a low breath, the shaky sound making Klaus flinch.

"He attacked me. Shoved me into the wall," he confessed. "Yelling all the same that I was weak, and that he could never accept me."

"I don't understand what you did. You were just born," Caroline shook her head.

"Sweetheart, I've spent over 20 years trying to understand what I've done to deserve that," Klaus chuckled sardonically. "I was born and already two men hated me. Seems my mother had quite the type."

She rubbed his arm soothingly. Her heart broke for him, trying to imagine what it was like being him growing up. Unable to feel the unconditional love and support that a father should give their children, no matter what the circumstances.

"When he attacked me, I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was drunk," he said simply.

"I shoved him off me, and he fell backwards and hit the back of his head on Mikael's desk," Klaus swallowed.

Caroline bit the inside of her cheek, refraining from gasping. His eyes were dark, hazy as he revisited the horrifying tale.

"T-There was so much blood, I didn't know what to do," Klaus stammered, his fingers twisting nervously together.

"What happened next?"

Caroline found herself surprised with how steady her voice sounded. Klaus ducked his head, running his hand down his face. He looked tired, a lot older than his young age.

"Mikael walked in."

Caroline did gasp at that.

"I thought he was out of town."

Klaus shook his head. "No, that's what he paid the reporters and the workers to say that day."

She shook her head, closing her eyes in disbelief. There was a dark side of journalism that she seemed to have missed.

Thank God, because she didn't think she'd have to stomach for it.

"I waited for him to taunt me, that he would go straight to the police and tell them how much of a murderer I was. That he would be glad to be rid of me."

"Did he?"

Klaus shook his head. "No. He didn't do anything. He just stood next to me, looked at Ansel dead on the ground, turned to me and said _'Pity that a heart attack did him in'_ , and that was it."

"That's all he said?"

"Yes," he answered, pressing his lips together in a thin line.

"I thought he hated you," Caroline said, unable to mask her confusion.

"He does," Klaus answered. "But he hated Ansel more."

"Then why protect you?" she asked, shaking her head. "I don't get it."

Klaus sighed, his face a rare mask of utter confusion. "Perhaps he thought I was doing him a favor, getting rid of Ansel."

"Did he say that?" she asked, lacing their fingers together.

He faltered, glancing down at their intertwined hands before drawing in a breath.

"To this day, I still don't really understand. He says it's something to do with my mother and the press."

"What do they have to do with what happened?"

"Ansel's death would lead to an investigation, which leads to my real ties with him," Klaus sighed. "The press would have a field day with Mikaelson Corporation. Mikael said it was eas-"

"Easier to cover it up," Caroline finished, looking at him quietly.

"I assume Jenna must have figured it out," Klaus muttered. "Clearly I don't give her enough credit."

"Or she was one of the journalists who was paid off," Caroline supplied.

Klaus groaned, throwing his head back. "No wonder she wants to expose me. The money must have run out."

He walked across the room, away from her.

Caroline narrowed her brow, the idea of covered up deaths thoroughly creeping her out. "That is so morbid that people can be bought off to hide a death."

"Happens more than you think, apparently. Everybody has secrets to hide," he reminded her.

She nodded hesitantly, thinking about Tyler and his actions whilst they were engaged. Clearly, it wasn't any nearly as intense as what Klaus and his fathers went through, but she understood it.

Klaus was studying her, a dark, apprehensive look on his face.

"You must be terrified of me," he stated.

Caroline's eyes snapped to his, wetting her lips with her tongue as she looked at him. He ducked his head ashamedly, running a hand through his hair.

"What makes you think that?" she asked, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm a murderer."

She sucked in a low breath, the words hitting her harder than she expected.

"It was an accident," she reminded him.

His shoulders bobbed as he shrugged. "Still."

She got up, walking over to him hesitantly. Raising her hand to put it on his shoulder, Klaus recoiled and stepped away.

"It doesn't change anything for me," she confessed.

He stopped suddenly and turned around. "What?"

She stepped closer. "Knowing this doesn't change anything for me about you."

"But I'm a-,"

"It doesn't matter," Caroline said firmly. "You were defending yourself and it was an unfortunate accident."

"That killed someone," Klaus stressed.

"Who was probably going to try to kill you," she continued. "Klaus, it doesn't matter to me. Okay?"

His eyes had grown soft, the vulnerability in them gnawing at her. She felt for him, the secret having been haunting him for years. Caroline couldn't even imagine the kind of stress he must have been under, having to keep something like that private.

And, she found that she wasn't scared of him. Klaus wasn't the person he was painting himself out to be. He'd been handed a lousy hand of cards in life, with his family. But, he didn't make excuses for the way he acted, for the way things happened to him.

He took it in stride, and became someone she admired deeply because of his determination and persistence in everything he did.

"I care about _you_ ," she murmured. "It was an accident. You need to stop blaming yourself."

Klaus shook his head. "If only I wasn't born-"

"Then my life would be a hell lot more boring," she interrupted, smiling at the way the corner of his lips quirked up at that.

He smiled back at her, allowing her to wrap an arm around his waist as she pulled him into a hug. Inhaling his scent, she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck as he held her. She'd never admit this to anyone, but she loved this side of Klaus. The tiny hint of vulnerability that he only seems to display with her. It twisted her heart and sent her reeling in a way she never thought was possible.

Klaus released her, stepping backwards as he moved away from her.

"Thank you," he said quietly, casting his gaze down at the ground.

She shrugged, bumping her hip with his. "That's what friends are for."

His face fell before smoothing into his usual confident smirk. "That you are."

She grinned at him, his face mirroring her expression.

"Dinner?" she asked. "I'll buy."

He sighed playfully. "I guess you owe me since last time didn't work so well."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Hey! It's not my fault Jenna has a pathological vendetta against your family."

He just smirked. "Italian?"

Her answering smile was blinding.

"Deal."

* * *

Even since Klaus' confession, something had changed between them. They were friendly of course, but it was a lot more affectionate than it had been in the past. She found herself opening up her apartment to him for dinner most days of the week, either him bringing it or her ordering it when he showed up.

Rarely a day went by when they didn't see each other, or share a meal. When they were apart, they were either texting or emailing. He was quickly becoming one of her best friends, his secret having bonded them in a way she didn't think was possible.

"We're just friends," Caroline stressed, rinsing her plate off.

Katherine was standing in her kitchen during a girls night, raising her eyebrow unconvinced.

"You spend more time with Klaus than you did with Tyler when you two were together," the brunette needled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"This is so no true," she stressed.

"Oh please," Katherine rolled her eyes. "Why is this the first girls night we've had in like three weeks?"

"Well, you're so busy with Elijah," Caroline pointed out, drying her dish.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "And you're so busy with Klaus."

"I am not," Caroline dismissed, opening her cabinet to put away her plate.

"How many times have you and Klaus had dinner this week?" her friend asked, dropping into a kitchen chair.

Caroline wrinkled her forehead, looking up to the ceiling as she tried to recall.

"Like...four times?"

Katherine smirked at her. "I rest my case. The only reason you aren't with him tonight is because it's a girl's night."

"Not true," she defended. "I had plans."

"With?"

"My TV," Caroline looked at her triumphantly. "Pride and Prejudice movie night."

"Ah yes, a movie in which you are totally Elizabeth and he is Mr. Darcy," Katherine said, bored. " _It was all for you,"_ she continued in a terrible British accent, throwing Klaus' words from their ill-fated lunch date all that time ago back at her.

"I am n-"

"Oh, please. You totally love him," Katherine cut in, her tone conveying that she was only half-kidding.

Caroline stopped short, the validity of Katherine's point hitting her.

"Oh my God."

Katherine smiled at her sympathetically.

"I-"

Caroline sucked in a low breath, rubbing her forehead as she let it out. Her heart began to pound, thinking about Klaus and all the different things he made her feel.

"Do you feel this burning in your chest every time you see him? Like you're just so happy that he's finally back in your sight?"

Caroline hesitantly nodded, thinking of the way her heart lifts every morning when she sees his curly blonde head bent over his desk.

"Do you miss him right after he leaves? Thrilling yourself with every little bit of knowledge that he seems to know about you?" Katherine continues, ticking the points off her fingers.

She didn't answer, looking up at the brunette helplessly. The woman just smiled back at her, a rare genuine grin.

"Congrats Care, you're in love."

Normally Caroline would have dismissed Katherine's claims with a roll of the eyes, chalking it up to her interactive imagination.

But she was completely right.

Everything was starting to make sense to her.

When she broke up with Tyler, she wasn't heartbroken over him, her pride was wounded. Tyler's lies hurt, but nothing hurt as bad as it would feel if Klaus up and walked out of her life. The way Klaus looked at her sent her reeling, and her heart seemed to start and stop with every bit of emotion on his face. His confession about Ansel would have sent any person running, but she stood by him through it. She'd been denying it all in the true face of friendship, but there was always something more to "just friends."

Especially with him.

They could never be just friends.

Her anger at his mother, father, and Ansel for the way he grew up stemmed from something other than sympathy. She hated Jenna for all the dirty work that she tried to put her through, that she had hurt Klaus. She felt...protective of him.

There was always something more to what she felt for him.

She never could pinpoint the exact moment where things changed for them. Maybe it was the way his face fell when he found out she was engaged, or the first time they danced at Donovan's.

Or maybe it wasn't just one moment.

It was everything.

"Oh. My. God."

Caroline dropped her plate with a clang, making her best friend jump.

"Are you okay?" Katherine asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I think I love him," she murmured, shaking her head.

Katherine chuckled, pulling her best friend into her arms. "Congratulations, you're officially the last person to know."

Caroline let out a watery laugh, gripping Katherine closer to her. She felt like a load was lifted off her shoulders, settling into the pit of her stomach.

How the hell was she supposed to act around him now?

* * *

She checked the clock on her computer, jiggling her leg nervously. Klaus was due back from lunch any minute. He went to lunch with Elijah, citing his brother wanting to talk to him about something. Caroline had just smiled and said that it was okay, inwardly jumping with joy that she'd get some time to get her nerves back in order.

She felt like Cher from _Clueless_ when she had her epiphany about loving Josh.

She didn't know how to act around Klaus now that she knew how she felt about him. It was like she was rediscovering everything she liked about him and seeing it different, bright light.

That morning Klaus walked in later than usual, mouthing a "sorry" while she was on a phone interview and went to sit at his desk. Normally, she'd scoff and glare at him but all she could do was think about how adorable his dimples were when he smiled shyly, and how sexy his black henley looked, hugging his lean form.

Then when he said he couldn't make lunch, she would usually be fine with that, but now she spent the last half hour missing him and wishing that he would hurry back, even if she felt incredibly awkward around him.

She felt silly.

Like a foolish schoolgirl.

But she wasn't. She was in love.

Stupidly, crazily in love.

Of course it would be with the one guy on earth who failed to commit to a relationship. He just didn't do serious.

 _But he still trusted you and told you everything about his past,_ the tiny voice of sense in her brain reminded her.

He seemed to trust her more than most people, right up there with his friends and family.

Caroline groaned, throwing her head down on her desk.

"Everything all right?"

The smooth lilt of his accent washed over her and Caroline snapped her head up. Her cheeks reddened and she smiled nervously at Klaus.

"Yeah, just something with this article I'm working on," she stammered, gesturing at her blank piece of paper on her desk.

His forehead wrinkled. "Need anything?"

 _Other than ravishing me every day for the foreseeable future?_

"Nope," she snapped, hastily closing her notebook. "Probably just need a break."

His eyes lightened up at that. "Speaking of breaks," he pulled out a takeout cup of coffee from behind his back. "I have a surprise for you."

Caroline let out an excited noise, reaching for the cup in his hand.

"You are amazing," she sighed, sniffing at the hazelnut scent that wafted out of the cup.

"I know," he smirked cheekily at her, dropping in Katherine's usual chair across from her desk.

She rolled her eyes, secretly thrilling herself at his gesture. Sipping at her coffee, she moaned quietly at the taste. Licking her lips, her heart jumped at the sight of Klaus' lustful look that has recently become synonymous with most looks directed at her.

"Peace offering for dumping me for lunch?" she asked, wiggling the cup at her.

He smirked. "Wouldn't want you poisoning my dinner tonight."

She gasped, mock-offended. "How dare you insinuate something like that coming from me?"

He chuckled, taking a drink of his own takeout cup that he seemingly produced out of thin air.

"Tea?" she nodded towards the cup.

"As usual," he sighed, closing his eyes and lolling his head back in bliss at the taste.

She inspected the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, fantasizing about climbing over the desk and licking her way up his neck. Averting her eyes when he moved his head, Caroline gulped down her coffee while staring at her computer screen.

"Is it my turn or yours?" he asked, referring to dinner that night.

She twisted her lips into a pout, raising her eyebrows as she tried to remember. "I think it's yours."

"Didn't I buy Thursday night?" he reminded her.

"And I was supposed to be Friday, your turn would have been Saturday, and mine Sunday. Today is Monday, thus your turn," she grinned.

"But we haven't had dinner since Thursday," he complained playfully, a twinkle in his eye shining with amusement.

She shrugged, grinning. "Can't mess with the schedule."

Klaus went to protest, his amused tone faltering as Alaric, the co-editor of the Herald Sun, and Klaus' old boss, came bursting into the office.

Caroline nearly jumped out of her seat, Klaus rising out of his as they turned to face the older man.

"Alaric, mate, have you ever heard of knocking?" Klaus growled half-heartedly, looking more annoyed than mad.

The man rolled his eyes, ignoring Klaus as he looked straight at Caroline.

"Something happened."

"Is everything okay?" she asked, side-eying Klaus out the corner of her eye.

He looked just as confused as she felt.

"Jenna was fired," Alaric stated. "Or she left, or something."

"Oh my God," Caroline gasped, exchanging what was sure to be the same shocked look on her face with Klaus. "What the hell happened?"

Alaric sighed, obviously bored with the details. "We got a call from corporate this morning-"

"How can we afford corporate when we can't even manage two individual newspapers?" Caroline asked, frowning.

He just glared at her. " _Anyways_ , Jenna has been let go. Not many details were given, just that things weren't working out and she will no longer co-editor."

"Oh my God, I bet she loved that," Caroline muttered under her breath, exchanging grimaces with Klaus.

Alaric shrugged. "Actually this morning she was going to quit, having taken a position across the country at a newspaper in California."

"Seriously?" she groaned, sitting down in her office chair with a huff. "That bitch somehow gets everything."

Alaric looked down at her amusedly, Klaus covering a laugh with a slight coughing fit.

"I was just tell you two, that we are now on the lookout for the next co-editor," their boss continued, looking meaningfully at both of them.

Caroline looked at Klaus hesitantly before turning back to him. "Who are they considering?"

He shrugged. "Preferably someone who knows the paper well, a good writer, leader, someone who can take charge," he ticked off his fingers. "I hope you both apply."

Klaus eyes shot open, his jaw slackening as he looked at the older man. "Really?"

"Seriously?" Caroline asked, shaking her head. "I'm just a writer."

"With amazing leadership and initiative," Alaric said, turning to look at Klaus. "Both of you are."

She looked over at him, her heart thudding painfully at the idea of being pitted against him for the job. He was frowning, his forehead creased as he appeared deep in thought. Caroline's biggest dream was to be in charge of her own newspaper, let alone one in such a big city like Chicago. But, the idea of going against Klaus didn't settle right with her.

But, it was her dream.

Caroline Forbes would be damned if she didn't follow it.

"The application should be out soon, " Alaric continued. "Please, think it about it."

With that, the older man strode out of her office, shutting her door with a snap.

Caroline was rooted into her seat, glaring at the floor as her mind spun with his news. Klaus didn't make any attempts to move or talk for a moment, his steady breathing the only thing being heard.

"What do you think happened to Jenna?" she whispered quietly.

Klaus sighed, shrugging. "I assume Mikael took care of it. It's his nature to cut off his endless supply of women when one gets too needy."

Caroline made a face, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "So she gets a new paper because she screwed an old guy?"

Klaus hummed, looking as displeased as she felt.

"You should apply."

Caroline snapped her head up, blinking at Klaus' nearly frantic expression.

"For sleeping with Mikael? Are you crazy?"

Klaus looked nearly offended. "Are you mad? I'm talking about the editor position."

"Oh," Caroline whispered, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

She was quiet for a moment, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Why?"

"This is everything you've been waiting for," Klaus answered, striding over to the other side of her desk.

Her mouth dropped open. "Me? What about you?"

Klaus had already began shaking his head before she finished talking.

"I don't want it."

"You don't?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No. It's not my dream," he knelt down to where they were eye-level, taking her hand with his rough, calloused fingers.

She watched him interlock their fingers, his thumb skimming over the smooth flesh of her hand. The warmth spread throughout her body, sending a shiver down her spine.

"But it's yours," he finished, looking at her earnestly.

"You should take it."

Caroline blinked, finding her throat tight with emotion and unable to form words. Klaus' cerulean orbs watched her, his gaze never wavering from hers.

"You really think I can do it?" she managed to stammer out.

A devastating grin bloomed across his face, making her heart jump into her throat.

"I know you can," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

She sucked in a low breath, his soft lips pressing against her hand sent shockwaves through her body. He looked up at her, the heated gaze absolutely boring into her. She found herself unable to breathe, think, or act for a moment, lost in his eyes. When she finally snapped out of it, she did the one thing that she'd been waiting to do for days, weeks.

She kissed him.

Pressing her lips firmly against him, she reveled in the sound of the way he moaned into her mouth. He matched her stroke for stroke, parting her lips with a thrust of his tongue. Humming contentedly into his mouth, Caroline laced her fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck. Sliding out of her chair, she pressed herself flush against his body.

He gripped her hips tightly, breaking the kiss as his lips trailed down her neck. She hissed as he nipped at a particularly sensitive spot, him soothing the sting with a lick of his tongue. Warmth spread all over her body, the heat settling between the apex of her thighs. Rubbing herself enticingly up against him, she felt her nipples harden through her shirt as they made contact with his firm chest.

He fell back on his bottom, Caroline following him as she straddled his waist. His hand slid under her skirt, brushing the tops of her thighs with his knuckles. She ground herself on the bulge in his pants, sure that her panties were absolutely soaked. His nimble fingers slid higher, tracing the edge of her panties.

She wasn't expecting _this_ to happen, but she was not complaining one bit.

"Touch me," Caroline whispered, sucking his bottom lip between hers.

He dipped a finger under her panties, teasingly sliding it against her dripping folds. She moaned into his mouth, Klaus' lips curling into a smirk as he continued to stroke her. Inserting a finger, he pulled back to watch her reaction, his eyes lustfully raking down her body. Riding his fingers, Caroline let out a string of curses as he hooked them inside. His thumb brushed against her clit and she let out a strangled gasp. Klaus's lips curved into a smirk, and he nipped at her neck, continuing to tease her clit endlessly. She came quickly, muffling her release by biting his shoulder.

Klaus removed his hand, purposely sucking her arousal off them as she shook against him. The visual of him licking his fingers, groaning softly at the taste, made her start aching for him once again. His eyes were dark with arousal, the look of pure want making her shiver. She shoved him on his back, giggling when he let out a shout of surprise. Yanking at his belt buckle, she nearly tore it off. Klaus helped her with his pants, wiggling out of them quickly. She took of her own underwear, using her other hand to grip his length firmly in her hand.

He hissed at the contact, muttering a curse under his breath and she continued to stroke him teasingly in her hand. Her thumb rubbed over the tip, and Klaus let out a guttural groan. Smirking victoriously at him, she straddled his waist once more as she positioned him at her entrance.

Looking down at him, she was struck by the sheer look of adoration in her eyes. There was arousal and desire there, but there was something else. Like she was the most captivating thing he'd ever seen before.

Her cheeks stained pink, and she smiled shyly. Easing herself down, they both sucked in a low breath as he filled her. He felt so good inside her, so complete, so _right._

He gripped her hips, helping her set a painfully slow rhythm. She rocked her hips, meeting his as she rode his length. Klaus muffled a moan, his fingernails digging into her skin, causing a delicious sting. She leaned forward, pressing her hands on his chest as she supported herself. She traced the smooth planes of his torso, raking her nails down his skin as he pressed their lips together to muffle her moan.

The thought of anybody, let alone Katherine or Alaric barging in their office, was terrifying but thrilling at the same time. It made the situation ten times more enticing. His hips met hers, his thrusts beginning to speed up. She whimpered under her breath, his cock hitting her in all the right places. Klaus felt her tighten around him, a sign of her impending release. His hand flitted up her torso, tweaking a nipple through her shirt. She muffled a moan by biting her lip, but was unable to disguise another as his other hand pressed against her clit.

She came crashing over the edge, her body trembling as she shook against him. He sat up, muffling her cry with his lips, spilling his own release into her. She collapsed against his chest, panting to catch her breath. He stroked her hair, pressing a kiss to her sweaty temple.

She rolled off him, wincing at the loss of contact.

Caroline looked at the ceiling for a minute, noting the heat of Klaus' gaze on her. She looked over, the grin on his face contagious.

"I can't believe we did that," she chuckled, reaching for her underwear.

Klaus did up his pants, straightening his shirt before standing up.

"If I knew Jenna quitting would have brought this on, I would have tried to get her fired a long time ago," he quirked, smirking at her.

She rolled her eyes, slapping his chest playfully as he helped her up.

"Well, you didn't let me finish-"

"I don't recall that being the case," he interrupted, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"-the discussion about the job," she continued, blushing furiously at his words.

His eyes shone with mirth, a beaming smile spread across his face. She scoffed playfully, deciding to drop the subject for the time being.

"Never mind," she muttered, pressing her lips together in a pout.

He didn't hesitate to swoop down and place a chaste kiss on her lips, surprising her a little. She kissed him back, wrapping her hand around his wrist. They grinned at each other for a moment, Caroline sure that the same dopey expression on his face was mirrored in hers.

"Do you, um, want to come over for dinner tonight?" she asked, tucking a curl behind her ear.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "I thought I was."

"You were- as my friend," she began, thrilling at the way his eyes dramatically widened. "But now I want you to come over as m-my date."

"Like a real date?" he asked, the corners of his lips quirking up.

She nodded shyly, peeking up at him through her lashes. He beamed at her, his dimpled smile speeding up her heart rate.

"Yeah."

"It's a date," he answered, lifting her hand up and brushing a kiss across it.

She grinned at him, feeling happier than she had in years.

* * *

Caroline hummed, swiping a bit of lipstick on her lips. She didn't intend on wearing it for too long, but she wanted to knock Klaus off his feet. Tonight, she was finally going to tell Klaus how she felt about it. Based on the way he had acted earlier, she was 99.9% sure that he felt the same way, but she still wanted to hyperventilate at the same time.

Caroline was terrified to tell Klaus. Even if she does love him, what if he just likes her? What if he wants to be friends with benefits?

Or worse, what if he was just playing her the whole time?

Shaking her head, Caroline cursed herself for even doubting him.

Klaus wasn't like that, not with her.

Letting out an anxious breath, she shook her hands to get all the nerves out of them. The Italian place where Klaus and her had the disastrous dinner date was due to deliver their food in about an hour, Caroline hoping that they'd never get to the eating part.

It was super expensive and she'd rather dine on his abs.

Hearing a knock at her door, Caroline jumped. She peered at her clock, surprised to find that Klaus was early by a whole half hour.

She stood up, taking a deep, calming breath, and strode to her front door. Her heart was thumping loudly, and she briefly wondered if Klaus could hear it through the door. Turning the door knob, Caroline prayed that her face didn't look as terrified at she felt.

However, what she saw standing at her door made the smile fall completely off her face.

"Tyler?"

* * *

 **Whoops. Sorry, the cliffhangers just write themselves. Soooo thoughts? What did we think about what really happened between Klaus and Ansel? About how Mikael handled it? Do we like how blase Mikael seems to be? It's kind of OOC, but I think it's a nice welcome change from the usual blackmail and drama. And Jenna is gone! What does Tyler want? Please review!**

 **If you have time, please check out my new story, Drive Me Crazy. It'll only have about 3 parts to it, but I hope you'll check it out and drop me a review :)**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**

 **Only 3 chapters left to go! *sniff***


	16. Heart to Heart

**Hey guys! So, yes I suck for not getting this up last week, but it's really hard to work 50+hours a week for about 4 weeks without a day off. Don't work two jobs, folks.**

 **ANYWAYS. Sorry about that and the cliffhanger. Hopefully this will make up for it :). Or make you yell at me again, idk. My boyfriend is coming into town this week, so no more updates until at least next Monday. I know! I'm sorry, I haven't seen him since July though!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Tyler?"

Caroline blinked her eyes rapidly, thoroughly shocked to see her ex-fiancé sheepishly smiling on her doorstep.

"Hey, Care," he started uneasily, looking as awkward as she felt.

"What are you doing here?" she bit out, not bothering to play with niceties.

He sighed. "Can I come in?"

"No. Why are you here?"

"Caroline, please," he tried, instilling his use of puppy dog eyes that used to work on her.

Not anymore.

"I need to talk to you."

She scoffed. "I highly doubt I'm going to care about anything you say."

Tyler rolled his eyes, igniting the annoyance in her.

"I want to talk about what happened," he continued.

"And I wanted a fiancé who proposed because he actually wanted to marry me," Caroline said snidely. "We can't always get what we want." She finished, tossing her curls over her shoulder.

Going to shut the door, she nearly growled when he stuck his foot out to stop it.

"That's not fair, and you know it," Tyler said irritably. "You wanted out of that relationship more than I did."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. "Maybe I did, but unlike you, I at least tried to make things work."

Her snappy comment seemed to hit the nail on the head, and Tyler's shoulders slumped. He sighed, running a hand down his face and meekly looked back up at her.

"You're right."

"Of course I am," Caroline replied haughtily.

Tyler chuckled sardonically, leaning up against her door way. She pursed her lips, looking over his shoulder to check for Klaus behind him. She wanted to avoid that awkward meeting, which wouldn't go over well with either of them.

"Can I please come in?" Tyler asked, his brown eyes soft.

She let out a huge breath, absently playing with a curl around her finger. Eying him suspiciously, she rolled her eyes before admitting defeat.

"Fine, but only for a few minutes," she agreed, stepping aside to let him in. "Then you have to go."

He grinned, walking past her into the living room. Caroline frowned, suddenly surprised to find that his smile no longer had any effect whatsoever on her. His smile used to send butterflies fluttering up and down in her stomach, her heart instantly tripling at it. She always thought she'd always have a soft, warm spot for him.

But now she felt completely indifferent. Nothing.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" she asked, shutting the door behind her.

He looked at her, nervously twiddling his thumbs. His usually immaculate suit was rumpled, extremely uncommon with him. He had bags under his eyes, and frown lines seemingly etched across his forehead.

"I just, really wanted to apologize to you," he began.

She rolled her eyes. "You have, like a million of times. It doesn't change anything, Tyler."

"I know, I know," he mumbled, bypassing her and walking into her living room.

"By all means, make yourself comfortable," she grumbled sarcastically under her breath.

She walked into the living room, dropping on the couch as she studied him. Tyler still looked incredibly uneasy, pacing her floor.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" she asked, crinkling her forehead as she watched him pace.

"I just-" he sighed, sliding down into her armchair. "I feel so bad that I hurt you Caroline."

She stayed quiet, watching Tyler's attempt at stammering out yet, another apology.

"You were one of the best things that ever happened to me," he continued, smiling shyly at her.

She lifted the corner of her mouth at his compliment, slightly mollified. Nodding her head, she agreed.

No one could ever accuse Caroline Forbes of not loving herself.

"And I didn't treat you right. I ignored you, made you wait too long to get engaged, worked too much, and didn't put in the effort that you deserved."

Caroline sighed, feeling the piece of her heart that had grown hard and cynical towards him soften a little.

"We loved each other once upon a time," he continued. "And that's not some way you treat someone that you love."

He finished, blinking down at her earnestly. She was reminded of a younger Tyler, the one that she had fallen in love with all those years ago. The boyish twinkle in his eyes that used to send her reeling on a daily basis.

All she felt towards him now was...nothing.

She was free.

Finally.

"I'm just...sorry. It was a terrible way to treat someone. Especially someone as awesome as you are, Care," he apologized, empathy etched in his face as he sat down next to her. "You deserved better."

"You're right, I did," she started. "But so did you."

He wrinkled his forehead at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

She opened her mouth to talk, jumping as a knock at her door pulled her away from her thoughts.

Klaus.

"Oh my God," she muttered.

"What?" Tyler asked, tilting his head at her.

"E-excuse me," she stammered, getting up to answer the door. "Stay right here."

Caroline stumbled over to the door, positive her knees were knocking together. That was most likely Klaus, coming over for the date that she planned. Her heart was thumping in her chest, palms, sweaty as she tried to think of what to tell him. Him seeing Tyler was bound to be extremely awkward, and it's not like Tyler knew what was going on between her and Klaus.

But this visit with Tyler did point out one important thing to her.

She didn't want to be with him, at all.

She wanted Klaus, every single, annoying, arrogant, loving, adoring part of him.

But she really did need to finish her conversation with Tyler. As much as she didn't want to, she owed it to herself, to him, and to their five year relationship. She desperately needed the closure, to be free to be with Klaus.

She flung open the door, a bright smile pasted on her face.

Klaus was standing in her doorway, looking devastatingly handsome in a plain back henley with jeans. He had her takeout bag in his hand, his signature smirk plastered on his face, and she wanted nothing more than to kiss that look right off his face.

"Hello Caroline."

"Klaus, hey," she smiled shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Only six seconds in and she'd reduced to a girly pile of mush.

"I ran into the delivery man in the lobby and decided I'd pick it up," he smiled, wagging the bag in front of her. "I could smell your lasagna down the street."

She flushed, taking the bag from him. He made a motion to walk through the door before she moved quickly in front of him. He frowned, tried to move again, his face bemused as she thwarted his attempts again.

"Caroline?"

She chuckled nervously, clutching the bag of takeout to her chest.

"Can we reschedule?"

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Not for another day, but for a few hours," she continued hastily. "I need to finish something first."

Klaus' face creased in concern. "Need my help with anything, love?"

Her heart soared at the pet name.

"No," she chuckled nervously. "Here, give me the bag and I'll go keep it warm and I'll call you to come over later?"

He looked hesitant, but nodded. She felt super guilty for withholding the truth from him, but it wasn't something quick to explain. After Tyler left, she would call him to come over and tell him everything.

Then he would understand.

He had to, because she was 99.9% sure that any heartbreak from Klaus would hurt ten times more than any other guy.

He went to hand her the bag and-

"Caroline?"

Tyler's voice piped up behind her. Her heart sank and she winced guiltily. Klaus' face hardened and he looked behind her.

"Lockwood."

"Klaus, right?" Tyler came up behind her, leaning against the doorway.

Caroline wanted die on the spot.

Or throw up.

By the look on Klaus' face, he wanted to do the same. He threw her a sharp glance, his eyes filled with confusion and hurt. Her heart sank at the look on his face, hating herself for causing that kind of emotion on his face.

Opening her mouth to speak, Caroline found herself at a loss for words.

"K-Klaus-"

"Excuse me," he interrupted. "I was just leaving."

He turned to go, causing a wave of panic to rush over her.

"No you weren't!" she spit out, reaching for his arm.

She turned around, shoved the takeout bag in Tyler's hands and gripped Klaus' arm firmly as she pulled him into the entryway.

"Tyler, can you give us a few minutes?" she asked, pointedly looking at him.

The man in question looked between Klaus and Caroline in confusion, realization dawning on his features at the panicked look on her face and the murderous one on his.

"Sure," he nodded, grimly smiling at Klaus.

He nodded at them, turning around and walking off towards the kitchen. Klaus' jaw was set, and a vein was throbbing in his neck, a sure sign of agitation. Caroline slid her hands down his arm, threading their fingers together. His hand clenched around hers, almost painfully.

"Can I explain before you overreact?" she muttered, peering at him through her lashes.

"Please," he bit out, his eyes darting over her shoulder at Tyler's retreating back.

"He just showed up," she explained, squeezing his hand comfortingly. "I didn't invite him over, nor do I really want him here."

"Then why is he still here?" Klaus sighed, dropping her hand and running his over his face.

"He needed to apologize again," she said simply. "And I needed him to."

Klaus studied her for a moment, his lips pursed together as he continued to frown at her. She felt naked under his gaze, like every bit of emotion that she felt was on display. It was equally thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

"Please, don't get mad. I was going to finish talking to him, call you, and then tell you," she whispered, taking her hand and caressing his jaw.

His eyes shut briefly at her touch, but his face refused to relax.

"I should go," he muttered.

"What? No," Caroline protested, a heavy weight settling in her stomach at his words. "I'll get rid of him."

Klaus shook his head, refusing to meet her pleading gaze.

"No, not for me," he said softly. "I need to leave."

"Klaus," she began, hating the way her voice broke on his name.

When did she start crying?

"I want you here," she said. "I want you here more than him."

Klaus smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know."

"Don't leave," she pleaded, taking his hand in her small ones.

Klaus wet his lips, looking down at their intertwined hands. He sighed before lifting her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss across it.

"It's okay, I understand," he said quietly. "You have history."

"That's over and done with," she wheedled, clutching his hand to her chest. " _We_ have a future."

The corners of his lips upturned in a small smile, yet, it still felt off to her. She bit the bullet and leaned up, pressing her lips to Klaus' in what she hoped was an assuring kiss. His lips melded over hers, pressing back just as firmly. When he pulled away, a small smile was blooming across her face.

"You're my future," she whispered. "I promise."

He nodded, looking over her shoulder. "I think he's waiting."

Caroline sighed. Clearly, she wasn't getting completely through to him.

"Can you come by later?"

Klaus looked hesitant, pressing his lips together firmly. "I don't think I should."

Her heart sank to her stomach, and her eyes began to glass over with tears. His face screwed up in a look of panic and he immediately bent his face down to her level.

"Don't cry sweetheart," he whispered, chasing a tear with his thumb.

She shook her head, willing herself to stop crying. It was stupid really, crying over a silly boy and another silly boy that she didn't love anymore.

But she did love Klaus.

So much.

"I want you," she confessed, a lone tear streaking down her face.

Klaus' face softened, and he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead.

"And I, you," he whispered. "But I need to go."

She nodded numbly, feeling cold as he released her. He smiled grimly at her, and turned around to leave. The sound of the door closing shut nearly broke her heart in two, and she choked back a few tears.

Why did she let him leave?

"Caroline?"

She whirled around, wiping at her eyes as she faced Tyler. His eyes widened at the sight of her tear-streaked face, and he immediately moved over next to her.

"Are you okay?"

She shrugged, shaking her head. "Jury is still out."

Tyler let out a chuckle, wrapping a friendly arm around her shoulder. "Boy troubles?"

She glared at him, surprised by his lax nature. She had dated Tyler long enough to know that he did have a particularly nasty streak of jealousy when it came to her and others guys, especially when it came to Caroline being friends with guys.

Poor Jesse never saw that punch coming.

"Since when are you all gung-ho and friendly about me and another guy?" she asked warily.

Tyler shrugged, pulling her over into her kitchen.

He made a face at the takeout bag.

"Yuck, he didn't even bring your favorite food."

She ducked her head. "Actually Italian _is_ my favorite kind of food."

Tyler looked at her questioningly and then back at the bag. He snorted, shaking his head.

"I was a shit boyfriend, wasn't I?"

"Jury is still out," Caroline repeated with a teary laugh, wiping under her eyes.

Klaus knew her favorite food, the way she took her coffee, her writing style, her _everything_.

It just made her want him more.

She settled on a stool against her counter, reaching for her lasagna. She opened it, ignoring Tyler's inquisitive stare as she began picking at her food with a plastic fork.

"So, Klaus," Tyler began, Caroline shaking her head before he could even start poking holes in that topic.

"Let's not," she murmured.

"I met someone," Tyler cut in, and Caroline dropped her bite of lasagna on the counter.

"What?"

"I me-"

"Yeah, I heard," Caroline interrupted, shaking her head.

Tyler was watching her, his brown eyes looking at her carefully. She didn't feel warm under his stare, like she did with Klaus. She thought that if she ever heard that Tyler moved on, her life would feel like it was over, that she would once again be reduced to being second choice.

But she didn't.

All she wanted to do was run out that door and find Klaus.

"Who is it?" she asked, picking up her fork.

Tyler cleared his throat, and smiled shyly. "It's actually Elena Salvatore."

Caroline dropped her fork again, nearly choking on her food. "The woman from the case."

He nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, uh, she dumped the other brother not too after we broke up, and we started talking, and things just happened."

Caroline bit her tongue, refusing to comment on the wish washy nature that the Salvatore woman seemed to have when it came to men. She should be happy for Tyler, and in a way, she was.

"I'm glad you're happy Tyler," she smiled, his expression reflecting hers.

"I am," he said, grinning. "And I want you to be too."

Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine, Tyler."

He rolled his eyes back at her. "Caroline, I saw that look in your eyes when Klaus left."

She shrugged, stuffing a bite of lasagna in his face.

"You love him."

Once again, Tyler continued to drop surprise truth bombs on her while she was eating. She started coughing, him whacking her gently on the back. He placed a glass of water in front of her and she drank it down, nearly gasping for breath when she finished it.

"I have the worst timing," he quipped.

She glared at him. "You think?"

He just grinned back at her. Caroline just picked up her fork, stabbing her food as she contemplated Tyler's words.

"You're avoiding the subject," he continued, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm not avoiding," she complained. "I'm refusing to talk about it."

"Because you love him."

She groaned, throwing her fork down. "Stop saying that."

"Caroline," Tyler sighed. "I know you more than most people. That crushed look you had on your face when he left? You're scared of losing him."

"I don't even have him," she groaned, dropping her head down to the table.

Tyler chuckled, placing a comforting hand on her back. "You've had him for years."

Caroline scoffed.

"Please, I listened to you complain about him for years, then would catch the glares he sent my way whenever he visited the office with his brother."

She looked to the side, meeting Tyler's amused look with a glare. He just grinned impishly at her, stealing a bite of her lasagna. She wacked his hand away, and laughed at his mock-offended glare.

"You know, you're not a bad friend, Lockwood," Caroline sighed. "Even if you're a terrible boyfriend."

Tyler nodded, eyes wide. "I can't even deny it."

Caroline laughed, returning to her food.

Closure was a funny thing.

Caroline always thought that closure would be going through all the pain from the broken relationship again, to find out that it would never work out. But, this kind of closure is the best. Being able to talk, laugh, be friends who can give each other advice with no hard feelings.

Perhaps she'll never fully forgive Tyler for what he did, but she sure as hell would always be grateful for his friendship.

* * *

Klaus flew into his sister's apartment, startling her, Enzo, and Kol in the kitchen.

"What the hell!" Rebekah screeched, her spatula going flying.

He ignored her, sitting down at the table and glaring at it like it personally offended him.

The three other patrons exchanged concerned looks, Kol sliding into a chair next to him.

"Lady troubles Nik?"

Klaus snarled at him, his hand clenching around the edge of the table, white knuckling the delicate wood.

Rebekah tutted, smacking his hand with her spatula. "You break my table, I'll break your face."

Klaus rolled his eyes, still refusing to talk. Enzo narrowed his eyes at him, pursing his lips contemplating.

"Love, can you give us the room?"

"It's my kitchen!" Rebekah bellowed.

"Please, my dear," he sent her a soft look.

She sighed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're lucky you are cute."

"Every day," he cheekily smiled

She rolled her eyes, but left the three guys alone.

"Caroline?" Kol asked knowingly.

Klaus just growled under his breath, continuing to look at the table.

"I think someone is in love," Enzo remarked.

"You take that back," Klaus snarled.

"Ah, you've touched a nerve!" Kol grinned, his dark eyes twinkling in amusement.

He glared at his younger brother, refusing to comment to Enzo's silly remark.

"And I hear no denial," his friend said.

Klaus rolled his eyes, letting out a huge breath. He could feel his emotions roll off his body. Anger, annoyance, confusion, and guilt. He knew that leaving Caroline's would put him in a foul mood, but staying wasn't an option. Seeing her cry sucker punched his stomach, but seeing Tyler in her apartment was like having his heart ripped out.

It was best to try to not feel.

Which lead to not caring.

"I don't love people," Klaus bit out.

"So, you don't love your family?" Kol asked. "Thanks Nik."

His brother's tone was sarcastic, and the wry grin on his face was even more annoying.

"You know what I mean."

"Oh, we do." Enzo answered shrugging. "Our Klaus-y is in love."

"In love!" Rebekah shrieked, coming back into her kitchen.

Klaus groaned, dropping his head to the table with a thud.

"With that blonde from the club?" Rebekah asked Enzo.

The dark-haired man nodded with a grin.

"I knew it!" she continued, sitting down next to Klaus. He shrank away from her attempt at patting him on the back and glared at her.

"You are the first man I've ever met that was personally offended at being in love," Rebekah remarked, shaking her head.

"Love isn't an option," Klaus murmured, looking away from his family's concerned expressions.

"What makes you say that?" his sister asked, exchanging confused looks with her boyfriend.

"Because," he said firmly.

"Because of Ansel?" Kol asked bluntly.

He sucked in a low breath, but refused to answer.

"Nik-" Rebekah started, her blue eyes soft with emotion.

"Let's not."

"Let's," Kol said firmly, shooting his brother a serious look.

"Nik, you know he attacked you because he was drunk. Not because he didn't love you," Rebekah murmured softly. "He was mad at Mikael. He was always mad at Mikael."

Enzo watched the family talk to them, having been filled in on the past a long time ago.

"Didn't matter in the long run," Klaus said shortly.

"Yes it did," Kol rolled his eyes. "Just because you were caught between them both, doesn't mean you're like either one of them."

"You can love," Rebekah continued.

Klaus caught Enzo's eye, noticing the knowing look in his friend's eye. Clearing his throat, he sat back in his chair and fiddled with his hands.

"Her ex-fiancé was at her apartment just now," he changed the subject, his way of avoiding the silly proclaims of love.

Klaus didn't love. It's not an option.

"What a trollop," Rebekah wrinkled her nose.

"Easy sister dear, " Kol corrected her. "That's our future sister in law you're speaking about."

"I will box your ears," Klaus threatened, glaring at his younger brother.

Enzo snorted, shaking his head. "What happened, mate?"

"I came over for dinner, and she was trying to nearly push me out of the apartment, and Tyler came out of the living room," Klaus explained, ignoring how foolish he found himself feeling.

"And?"

"And she told me to stay, that she would get rid of him-"

"Typical," Rebekah snorted.

"That he came over to apologize again for the way he acted during their relationship, and that she needed to hear it," Klaus continued. "Then told me that she wanted me to be her future."

"Wait, this is the Caroline that was engaged right?" Rebekah asked.

"She was?" Kol asked.

"Keep up, mate," Enzo cracked.

"How long were they together?"

"Five years," Klaus mumbled.

Enzo let out a low whistle. "That's a long time to be with someone."

He nodded numbly, shaking off Rebekah's comforting hand.

"Maybe she needs time," his sister said lowly.

Klaus licked his dry lips, looking up at his younger sister.

"What do you mean?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, but shrugged. "Five years is a long time with someone. And, it's obvious to me that she was crazy about you at the club that night-"

"And at the office," Kol chimed in.

Rebekah looked at Klaus quizzically. He rolled his eyes, brushing off her concern with a wave of the hand.

"Don't worry about it."

"It's obvious you care for her," Enzo remarked. "And that she likes you just as much back."

"But, maybe she needs some time," Rebekah finished, looking at her boyfriend. "Time to heal, to be with you. Completely."

Klaus listened to her, his heart sinking. As much as he hated to admit it, and he did, both of them were right. It wasn't fair to her, asking her to pick him now. It wasn't fair to him, asking her to be with him before she was completely ready.

"You're right," Klaus muttered.

"Of course I am," Rebekah stated smoothly.

He rolled his eyes. "Mind not mentioning this emasculating conversation to Henrik or Elijah?"

"Oh, I've been transcribing this the entire time," Kol piped up, wiggling his phone at him.

He made a lurch for his brother, causing his sister to shriek.

"Don't you dare spill blood on my kitchen table!"

* * *

Tyler left not too long after dinner, stating that he had to get over to Elena's. He had parted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, both of them starting to warm up to the idea of being friends. Hanging out with Tyler had been an eye-opener for Caroline, reiterating the fact that she was fully, completely, and totally over him.

There was only room for one guy in her life, and his name was Klaus.

Speaking of Klaus...

Caroline sighed, playing with her phone in her hands. She'd tried calling him twice, both calls going to voicemail. She didn't want to think that he was purposely avoiding her, but wouldn't put it past him.

She knew how awkward it must have looked, seeing Tyler in her apartment, seemingly waiting for a romantic Italian dinner that was actually intended for her and Klaus. She couldn't blame him for getting upset, but wanted to do everything, anything, that she could to explain it to him.

But.

He needs time.

If there was anything Caroline knew about Klaus, is that he needs time. He has a tendency to overreact, internalize things, and lash out when the feelings get too real.

She'd explain everything at work tomorrow and he would understand.

He had to.

* * *

 **Sooooo, what did we think? What do we feel about the Klaroline confrontation with Tyler thrown in? About Tylena? The conversation between the Mikaelsons and Enzo (I love Rebenzo so much)? What do you think it going to happen next chapter? Only two more to go :(**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	17. Dreams Live

**Hey guys! Here is the penultimate chapter before the story wraps up. I hope you guys enjoy :)**

* * *

Klaus rolled over on to his stomach, glaring at the numbers on his alarm clock. It was 7:00, about two hours before he was supposed to be heading to work at the Herald-Star.

Sleep was not easy to come by the night before. His talk with Rebekah, Enzo, and Kol was ingrained into his brain, along with the panicked look on her face when he left her apartment.

He'd been angry of course, but not at her.

More so at Tyler for thinking that he deserved a chance to apologize once more to Caroline after all the damage he'd done. He was frustrated that Caroline's kind heart had given him the chance to explain, and he assumed, be forgiven. Of course, he couldn't really be angry about that. He adored her compassionate nature. She'd taken a chance on him even when he didn't deserve it, and that's how they ended up here in this crazy, wonderful, insane mess.

Try as he may, he couldn't get the look on her face out of her face when he left. Her eyes nervous, filled with unshed tears, but there was something else. There was a warmth in them that was directed towards him when Tyler left the room.

" _I want you."_

He had spent years waiting for those words from her. They lifted the cold, dark edges of his heart that he didn't know existed anymore.

But she deserved better.

She deserved better than a man who spent his life cowardly hiding in the shadows of his family's lies. Better than the man who in stuck in a dead end job that he despised, better than a man who doesn't follow his own passions.

Better than him.

Klaus groaned, burying his head in his pillow. He'd spent years convincing himself that he'd never be one of those men who were bothered by contrived silly, little things like relationships. He didn't care, nor did he ever feel like he would find someone that would make him want to move the Earth and stars for them.

But then he met Caroline, and his whole world just seemed to turn upside down.

He fell a long time ago, and no one bothered to tell him.

Klaus was pulled out of his thoughts by the annoying blare of his cell phone. He had turned it off when he left Enzo's, needing time to be alone with his thoughts and his sketchbook. All he accomplished was finishing off a bottle of bourbon and six different drawings of Caroline in various sceneries.

A small bout of panic rose in his stomach when he saw the many text messages and missed calls from Caroline. He knew he should have responded, or said _something_.

He wasn't ready to face her though, Rebekah's words about time and being in love bouncing around his head.

Peering back down at his phone, he was surprised to see Ayana's name flash across the screen. Swiping his thumb across it, he answered it quickly.

"Hello?"

" _How is my favorite godson?"_

Klaus rolled his eyes, but a smile crept across his face nonetheless. "Wondering why I was so rudely woken by a shrilling phone call."

" _Hush child, or I'll tan your hide."_

He grinned. Klaus may no longer be the child she once knew, but Ayana still threatened to discipline him and his siblings whenever they were out of line. Kol sometimes hiding from her whenever there were family functions she was invited to.

"I apologize. What can I do for you Ayana?"

" _I was hoping we could meet for breakfast at the museum. I had something I wanted to discuss with you."_

"Oh?" Klaus said, clambering out of bed. "Is it important?"

" _I think you'll find it very interesting,"_ the older woman mused in a mysterious tone.

He checked his alarm clock. "I can be there in a half hour. I don't have to be at work until 9."

The woman chuckled. _"I'll see you soon."_

She hung up and Klaus was left staring at his phone in confusion. Ayana was normally abrupt, but she was acting rather strange. She never called for any trivial matter. After Ansel's death, Klaus had met her for lunch a week later and it ended up feeling more like a therapy session rather than a regular meal.

With a sigh, he looked back down at his phone, his finger hovering over Caroline's name. Pressing his lips together firmly, he briefly considered calling her. He owed her an explanation for last night, and the inevitable annoyance she had at him for ignoring her calls and messages.

Making an exasperated noise, he threw it down on his bed. He would just wait until he arrived at work that morning. Klaus was a much better groveler in person than he was over the phone.

* * *

"Niklaus," the older woman greeted, a fond smile on her face.

He hugged her, hiding a small smile. "I think you, Father, Mother, and Elijah are the only people who still call me that."

"What about Finn?" Ayana laughed.

"We don't speak," he quipped, shrugging nonchalantly.

There was no lost love between him and his oldest brother.

She narrowed her eyes at him disapprovingly. "One of these days, you boys will get over your differences and act like family."

"I think not sharing fathers has a hand in our differences, Ayana," Klaus sighed, waving his hand, bored. "Now I was promised breakfast."

She glared at him, the steely gaze making even him want to shrink back. Ayana had never been the one to take kindly to his flippant comments.

"Child, you may be grown, but your mind is still young and foolish."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, knowing exactly what she meant.

Ayana always seemed to give him the same speech as always, especially when it came to discussing his relationship with his father(s) and his oldest brother.

"One of these days, all you will have left is your family. Fam-"

"-ily above everything," Klaus finished, ducking his head away from her annoyed glare.

Ayana folded her arms across her chest, looking at him pointedly.

"I know," he sighed. "I apologize. I'm hungry."

She studied him, pressing her lips together. He looked away awkwardly, sticking his hands in his pockets. Her old, wise eyes scrutinized him, leaving him feeling vulnerable under her contemplative look.

"There is something else," she muttered.

His blood ran cold.

It was always useless to attempt to keep secrets from Ayana. There was something about the older lady, and how she always managed to know everything, almost like she had a sixth sense. Klaus licked his bottom lip, running a hand through his hair as he stubbornly looked at the wall.

Her eyes widened, and realization dawned on her face.

"Of course."

Klaus cleared his throat, taking the older woman's elbow and began guiding her towards the museum's cafe.

"Come on, let's eat. I have work in an hour."

The older woman hummed innocently, a secret smile on her face.

He ignored her, making the effort to pretend he was studying the menu while she was ordering her breakfast.

"I'll take a c-"

"You're in love."

Klaus nearly choked on his own tongue, coughing out the rest of his order to the confused barista. Ayana slapped him on his back, a wide grin blooming across the older woman's face. He threw her a menacing glare, annoyance growing at the self-satisfied look on her face.

The woman continued to grin at him, amused with the hostile way he nearly threw his money at the cashier, and the growl he let out when she laughed. He yanked his drink from the barista, stalking over to the nearest booth and abruptly plopping down. Ayana followed him, a gleeful smile plastered across her face.

"So…"

"You're crazy," Klaus burst out. "I am not in love."

Ayana threw him a look that let him know she wasn't buying his denial. "I may be old and senile, child, but I am not stupid."

He exhaled and took a long sip of his scalding hot tea, desperately wishing that it was something stronger like whiskey.

"Niklaus, I've known you for your entire life," the woman began, lecture imminent.

He sunk down in the booth, fully aware of how child-like he was acting.

"I can tell when there is something different about you. It's not just me that has noticed, either."

"Who?" he asked, creasing his brow.

"Kol came to see me last week, told me that there was a new woman in your life," Ayana sipped at her drink, a secret smile playing at her lips.

"Kol is an imbecile," Klaus spat.

The older woman just raised her eyebrows. "At first I didn't believe it, sure that it was one of your many lady friends-"

Klaus ducked his head awkwardly.

"But there is a change in you, Niklaus," she continued, leaning back in her booth. "I can't believe I didn't realize it when I last saw you."

He arched his brows, matching her expression. "Which is?"

"You love that Caroline woman," she said simply, shrugging as if it was a trivial fact, unbeknownst to Klaus' panicked distress.

"I most cert-"

"And the fact that you are terribly defensive only cements my belief," Ayana smirked, reveling in Klaus' stupefied expression.

Opening his mouth to defend himself, Klaus found himself at a loss for words. His palms were sweaty, heart thudding in his chest, and he found himself slightly nauseated.

He loved her.

It was that simple.

Klaus was wrong. He didn't just fancy her, or care about her. He was stupidly, blindedly, amazingly in love with her.

Rebekah, Kol, and Enzo were right, for the first time in their lives.

Klaus just gaped at the older woman, seemingly rocked by her conclusion. Instead of being cocky or teasing him about his epiphany, Ayana just placed a motherly hand on his.

"It's okay to love, Niklaus," she murmured. "Even if it is terrifying."

He blinked at her, wetting his dry lips as her words sank in.

"I know that you didn't have the best examples to grow up with," she continued. "I love your mother like she's my sister, but we know that her and Mikael didn't set the best standards and that somehow, you kids got lost in between their warring ways."

Klaus dropped his gaze to the floor.

"But you thrived. You found yourself love, something that can be very hard to come by," Ayana finished. "She's a wonderful girl."

Klaus cleared his throat, finding his mouth dry. "She is."

But he would only crush her. He didn't do relationships for a reason. In the long run, Caroline would get hurt by him. Or she would hurt him.

He loved her too much to do that to her.

Ayana smiled. "I know what you are doing right now."

Klaus took a sip of his drink, coughing slightly to hide his discomfort.

"You're thinking that you'll mess it up, or that you don't deserve something as wonderful as being loved by someone like her."

Klaus looked up. "How did y-"

"I know you," she sighed. "Niklaus, you do deserve to be loved. I know you think you don't and that you would only ruin her, but you won't."

"But-"

"Because you love her," she sighed. "When you love someone, you do what is right by them. It would kill you to see yourself hurt her."

"I don't think I can avoid it," Klaus confessed. "I'm not a good man."

Ayana pursed her lips. "No, you're human."

He exhaled, his shoulders drooping as he took in her words.

"She just got out of a relationship," Klaus sighed. "Five years."

Ayana sucked in a low breath. "That's a long time to be with someone."

He nodded, dropping his gaze to the table. "She says she wants to be with me."

The older woman studied him. "And you want to be with her."

He didn't acknowledge that she stated it like a fact, instead of a question. She was right.

"I think that's something you need to talk about with her," Ayana mused. "Whether or not she's ready for what you want to give her."

He nodded, agreeing with her. He had a lot of things to think about on his ride across town to work, let alone what he would say to her.

"So, was this your only reason to have breakfast with me?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows.

The older woman chuckled affectionately.

"Actually no. I called you because I have a proposition for you."

He arched his brow. "Well then, do tell."

* * *

Caroline scurried through the front doors of the Herald-Star, snatching Katherine's arm as she tugged her away from April's desk.

"Seriously Care-"

"This is more important than whether or not April should get her eyebrows done before her date Friday night," Caroline bit out, juggling a carrier of drinks to her other hand.

Katherine narrowed her eyes at the cups. "There better be a drink in there for me."

Smiling apologetically, Caroline shook her head. "Sorry, but not this morning."

"Then what the hell is so important?" the brunette asked, pulling Caroline into her own office.

She looked over Katherine's walls, filled with her most prized photographs from the paper, and a more recent addition in the middle of her desk.

It was a picture of Katherine and Elijah.

For a moment, Caroline's heart longed for the simplicity that seemed with come with their relationship. No ex-fiancé or bad history between them.

It was easy, passionate, and seemingly going to last.

She wanted that so badly for her and Klaus

"Care?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Katherine's concerned expression.

"What's the matter? Did something happen with Klaus? Did you tell him?"

She shook her head, dropping her gaze to the two coffee cups in her drink carrier.

"I didn't get a chance to," she sighed.

Katherine smirked devilishly at her. "Oooh, nice."

The blonde rolled her eyes, slapping at her best friend's arm. "Not because of _that."_

She just smirked back at her, brown eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Tyler came over last night."

The smile slid off Katherine's face, replacing it with a look of astonishment. "What?"

"Then Klaus showed up right after," Caroline continued, wincing at the way she gaped at her.

"Holy, shit."

"Yeah," Caroline mumbled. "It was awkward to say the least."

Katherine shook her head, still slightly stunned.

"Well, what happened?"

Caroline ran a hand down her face, ignoring the fact that she was probably smudging her perfectly made up face.

"Klaus left. I tried to get him to stay, or even come back later, but he wouldn't listen," Caroline said miserably. "I think I actually begged."

Katherine threw her a sympathetic look, wincing at Caroline's thick, dejected tone.

"And Tyler?"

Caroline scoffed. "He came over to tell me he was dating someone new. And that I should totally go after Klaus."

"He's rather ballsy," Katherine growled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I would have stuck my pointed stiletto up his ass and told him to beat it."

Caroline laughed despite her depression. "And that's why next time I will call you."

Her best friend just grinned.

"No, really. It wasn't bad. It was kind of...nice?" she said, unsure. "It just kind of reiterated the fact that we aren't right for each other."

"Like closure," Katherine supplied.

"Exactly."

"So what now?"

"Offer tea and apologies as a peace offering to Klaus," Caroline said, wiggling the drink carrier. "I got Klaus' favorite morning tea and even prepared a speech to give him."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Nerd."

Scoffing, she went to leave. "Please, not all of us use our feminine wiles to get a man to accept our apologies," Caroline teased.

"True, but I do have a 97% success rate," Katherine grinned, winking suggestively at the blonde.

Caroline made a disgusted noise, waving bye over her shoulder. She could hear Katherine's laughter as she made her way down the hall to her office, squaring her shoulders as she prepared for the inevitable discussion with Klaus.

Breezing into her office nonchalantly, Caroline halted as she noticed Klaus sitting on the edge of her desk, two coffee cups in hand. Blinking at him surprised, a small smile bloomed across her lips at the amused look on his face.

"Looks like we both had the same idea," he mused, wagging the cups in his hands at her.

She smiled shyly, perching next to him on the desk. He put one his cups down and picked one out of her carrier.

"Tea?"

"English breakfast tea," she replied.

He pulled the lid off and inhaled, closing his eyes briefly at the smell. "You are such a delight."

Caroline looked shyly down at the floor, peeking up at him beneath her lashes. "I was afraid after last ni-"

Klaus shook his head, pushing off the desk as he stood up. "It's quite all right, love."

"Caroline," she chimed in, her voice small.

He chuckled, his blue eyes dancing. "Caroline."

Her heart fluttered at the way he said her name. His voice just seemingly rolling over the syllables, making her name sound as warm and delicious as her hazelnut coffee.

She smiled bashfully, pressing her lips together as her cheeks flushed.

"I wanted to talk about something," he said.

Taking in a shaky breath, she put down the drink carrier. She stood up, folding her arms across her chest and looked at him expectantly.

"I want you to apply for Jenna's job," he began.

She shook her head confusedly at him, caught off guard with his random topic.

"I thought we discussed that yesterday," she said slowly, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"You didn't let me finish," Klaus began.

"Yes I did," she responded cheekily.

He arched his brow, then swooped in to kiss her on the lips. She grinned into his mouth, giggling at the little growl he let out as she nipped his bottom lip.

"You're distracting," he sighed playfully.

Caroline just shrugged, delighting in his weakness.

"Anyways, I want you to apply for Jenna's job," he continued. "So that you can hire a kick-ass new opinion editor."

Her forehead creased in confusion. "But that's our job right now."

"Not anymore," he finished.

A wave of fear rippled through her. Her pulse quickened and she was pretty sure her face was flushing in panic.

"Wait what?"

"Ayana offered me a job at the museum," he explained, ducking his head bashfully. "As the art curator."

Caroline gasped and she crashed her body into his, hugging him excitably. "Oh my God, Klaus! That's great!"

He hugged her back just as tightly, chuckling into her shoulder.

"That's right up your alley," she squealed, pulling back.

His eyes were glittering with happiness, and a real, genuine smile was blossoming across his face, causing her heart to twist in the most wonderful way. Caroline couldn't help herself, pressing her lips to his insistently. He met her stroke for stroke, their lips moving languidly against one another, his mouth muffling her soft sighs. Pulling her closer, he stroked her curls softly, massaging the back of her head sweetly.

She pulled back, propping her head up against his forehead.

"I'm so proud of you," she murmured.

"Not as proud as I will be of you when you become our next co-chief editor," he said quietly

Her breath caught in her throat, and she wondered if it was possible to die from feelings. The way he made her always made her feel like she could do anything, the solid, unwavering faith in her just made Caroline want to love him more.

"I'll miss seeing you here," she sighed, drawing out of his embrace.

He dropped his hands, nodding.

Having grown accustomed to seeing him on a daily basis, it was going to be a weird transition to go from nearly 24/7 exposure to him, to nearly nothing.

"At least we will still have dinner," she chuckled, walking around to her desk chair.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," he started hesitantly.

Her heart thumped nervously, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry about Tyler-"

"It's okay. I don't need to know. It's really none of my business"

"Yes, you do," Caroline rolled her eyes. "Sit."

He shifted to her desk, lifting himself to where he was sitting on top of it again. She nodded approvingly.

"Tyler just came over to apologize. That's all," she stated, shaking her head when he opened his mouth to interrupt.

"Then he told me that he was dating someone," she continued, the corners of her mouth lifting at the disgusted look on his face. "And that he was happy, and wants the same for me."

"Okay-" he tried, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Do I have to kiss you to shut you up?" she teased.

His eyes shone with amusement. "No, but I wouldn't mind."

She scoffed playfully, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Anyways, I came to a realization about you not too long ago."

"Oh?"

She sucked in a low breath, willing herself to calm down.

"That I love you."

Klaus' eyes widened and his jaw fell open, Caroline normally would have found it comical, but her nerves were twisting so bad that instead of laughing, she was sure she'd cry.

"What?" his voice was nearly a whisper.

"I love you," she stated simply, the weight lifting off her chest a little bit more each time she said it.

He continued to sit on her desk, gaping at her. Caroline bit her lip, twisting her fingers nervously as her heart began to sink at his lack of response.

"Klaus?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, just a bit caught off guard."

Letting out a slow breath, Caroline moved over to where she was sitting next to Klaus, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for him to find his words.

"You know, I feel the same way," he confessed, catching Caroline off guard.

A grin bloomed across her face, and she smiled so hard that her cheeks hurt. "Really?"

He met her eyes, and ducked his head. "Caroline, you're a bright light in this deep, dark world that we live in."

Feeling her eyes fill with tears at his sincere words, Caroline giggled, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious," he smiled. "I'm just-"

Klaus nodded towards her, licking his bottom lip. He just wasn't ready to say the words yet, which Caroline understood.

She was okay with that. She could wait.

"But, I think that we need to take a break."

What?

Caroline gasped, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. "What?"

Klaus turned to look at her, panicking as he noticed the tears fall from her eyes. He shook his head, taking her head in his hands, wiping at her tears.

"Don't cry for me," he murmured, kissing the tops of her cheeks.

"I don't understand," she tried, shaking her head. "You love me, but you don't want to be with me?"

Klaus took her chin in his hand, firmly turning her to face him. "I want to be with you. More than anything."

"Then what's the problem?"

Klaus sighed, kissing her temple. "I think that we need to be on our own for a while-"

"But-"

"Because you're about to become the newest co-chief editor here, and I've got this new job to concentrate on," he continued. "When we start something, I want to give it everything that I have."

Caroline pressed her lips together. "So, you want us to wait so that we can concentrate on our careers?"

Klaus nodded. "For the most part."

"But I had a career before in a relationship. We can do both at the same time," she supplied.

"Sweetheart, you need this time to yourself. You just got out of a five year relationship, and you haven't even had the chance to try to find out who you are without him, without me," he explained, wrapping a hand around hers. "Caroline, you owe it to yourself to become the person you want to be, without me, or some other man telling you how to live your life."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Caroline shook her head, his words sending her into a mass of confusion.

"I want you. I love you," Caroline stated, throwing her hands up as she stood up. "Why isn't that enough?"

"It's more than enough," he said, wrapping an arm around her. "It's everything I ever dreamed of. But, I think that you do need time to yourself."

Caroline swallowed thickly, trying to veil her devastation.

"This is your chance to make all your dreams come true," he said. "I'm making mine at the museum. This is your chance, and I want you to take it."

Caroline sucked in a low breath, his eyes cutting into her, the seriousness, and the love in them flooring her.

"You really believe in me that much?"

"More."

Maybe it was the earnest way he was looking at her, or than same unwavering faith that he always had, but she believed him.

She didn't know who she was without Tyler, or without a guy in her life. Caroline owed it to herself to find her dream. Even if it meant a little heartbreak that would be soothed by Klaus eventually in the long run.

"I don't want to lose you," she sniffed.

Klaus chuckled softly, wiping away another tear from her face. "Surely, you must know that I love you just as much as you love me. When we are together, it'll be for good. "

All of the pain and heartbreak seemed to wash away at his confession, and Caroline smiled at him. When Tyler had first said those three little words to her, she had been happy, but it wasn't as special as she always thought it would be. But when Klaus said them, it was like the sky opened up and light shone down on them, as cheesy as it sounded.

It was infinite.

"I'm going to miss being with you, like this," she gestured between them, noting how comfortable she felt in his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere, just across town. I'll still love you even while you take the time to conquer the paper and half of Chicago," he chuckled, smiling that dimpled smile at her that she loved so much.

She doesn't think she'll ever tire of hearing the word "love" come off his tongue.

"It's not me saying, we will never happen, because that's not an option," Klaus said, tracing the curve of her chin with his finger. "Just not now."

"Okay," Caroline whispered, brushing her lips against his. "I think you're right."

"Of course I am," Klaus said confidently, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

She rolled her eyes but snuggled in his arms.

"Tyler was your first love, and I intend to be your last. However long it takes."

* * *

 **Sooo, how many of you guys hate? I know, I hate myself too. This little "break" for Klaroline is very important though. Yes, I know they are in love BUT Caroline has not lived without a guys influence in her life for so many years, and I really think that her taking time for herself, would make their relationship even stronger. Just like how we wait for her to eventually show up on Klaus' doorstep ;)**

 **So, please, please review and give me your thoughts! What do we think of Klaus' new job, their break? Are you sad to see this story wrapping up? One more to go guys!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


	18. All of Me

**This is it. Hope you guys like this last part.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _THREE MONTHS LATER_

"Did you get quotes from the Mayor's office on the City Hall bomb threat?" Caroline asked, twirling a blonde curl around her right pointer finger.

The woman on the other end of the phone hesitated, before responding in a somewhat trembling voice.

" _Um, no ma'am. The secretary wouldn't patch me through."_

She sighed, rolling her eyes to the back. "Davina, if you are going to be a reporter, you need to learn that there are other ways to getting to the Mayor other than the secretary."

" _Like what?"_

"Have you tried going to his office? Maybe seeking out a fellow journalist from another paper? You know when I first started out, I had issues with getting quotes too," Caroline suggested, doodling on a blank page in her trusty notebook.

" _I tried, but Kai Parker is literally the devil. He's the reason I couldn't get the quotes in the first place,"_ the woman complained, irritation bleeding through her tone.

A smile tugged at Caroline's lips. Davina's complaints sounded a lot like hers when she first started out, reminding her of the trouble she had with interviews in the past with Klaus. This time, Davina was her and Kai Parker took the part of Klaus.

"I think you should try reaching out to Kai," she said lightly.

" _Like he would help me,"_ Davina scoffed through the phone. _"He is the worst."_

"Just try reaching out to him one more time," Caroline proposed. "If not, then we can try another method."

The young woman sighed, her breath causing a static noise through the phone. "Okay boss, will do."

"Great!" Caroline smiled. "I'll see you in the office tomorrow."

Davina echoed her sentiments before hanging up. Smiling satisfactorily at her notepad, Caroline put her pen down and cracked her knuckles with a sigh. There was a soft knock at her door, and Katherine poked her head in.

"Got a second?"

She waved her in, shutting her notebook and pushing it to the side. "Of course."

The brunette flounced in the room, dropping unceremoniously into her usual chair.

"So how is Madame Editor?"

Caroline grinned. "Fabulous," she replied, leaning back in her chair. "I know I've been the chief editor for nearly two months now, and I can never hear that enough."

"Someone has a big head," Katherine teased with a wink.

Caroline just raised her eyebrows, offering her a jaunty smile. When Caroline applied for Jenna's position, she'd been hired on the spot. Alaric ended up leaving the paper for a position at the Chicago Tribune, putting the Herald-Star completely in her hands. At first, she was completely terrified, but through a few pep talks from Katherine and Klaus, she was managing it just fine.

Things were absolutely insane at the beginning, transitioning from Opinion editor to Chief Editor, Caroline finding that she had a whole lot more responsibilities than expected. She decided to keep her old office for sentimental reason, not bothering to move into Jenna's office, turning that into a break room for her employees. For about half a minute, she was commiserating with Jenna's attitude towards the more incompetent employees the paper had, but once she got into a good groove with her employees, things were starting to slow down.

"How was your night?" Caroline asked, leaning back into her chair.

Katherine shrugged, a secret smile playing at her lips. Caroline arched her brows, noting the way Katherine's fingers were squeezing each other, almost in a death grip. Elijah and her were still going strong, at nearly a full six months of dating. They were a good balance for each other, him calming her down, and her helping him come out of his shell.

"It was good," she replied lightly, casting a look down at the ground.

Caroline leaned forward, propping her chin up on her fist. "You look nervous."

The brunette scoffed. "I don't get nervous."

Narrowing her eyes at Katherine, she pursed her lips as she studied her best friend. She wasn't quite meeting Caroline's gaze, preferring to stare over the blonde's shoulder at her window.

"Oh my God," Caroline gasped. "Something happened last night."

"Well, if you meant "getting laid" by that," Katherine smirked. "Then yes, something did happen."

She shook her head, feigning disgust by wrinkling her nose.

"No, I meant something important happened," Caroline said, looking at her pointedly. "Spill."

The brunette scoffed again, rolling her eyes. Caroline just continued to stare at her, not lifting her knowing look from her face.

Katherine exhaled loudly, throwing her head back. "Fine! He asked me to move in with him."

"Oh my God!" Caroline shrieked, completely forgetting that she was at work. "Congratulations!"

Katherine was clearly trying to hide how thrilled she was, but a huge grin broke out across her face. "Thanks."

"I knew he would," Caroline said smugly. "Klaus said that Elijah had been hinting at it when he helped him look for an apartment closer to the museum a few weeks ago."

Katherine just smiled, her cheeks tingeing pink, as she very uncharacteristically looked shy for a minute. Caroline watched her wistfully, inwardly wishing that things with her and Klaus would have worked out as easily as Katherine and Elijah did.

The past three months had been hard on them, mostly because of work. Both found themselves extremely busy within a few days after their last discussion in her office, Klaus starting his new job at the museum, and Caroline transitioning to Chief Editor.

She didn't have the time to put her whole heart into something other than work for the past few months, seeing her personal life become a distant whisper. Unless a guy had a newspaper article or press conference notes, Caroline barely noticed anybody outside her staff. She and Klaus did make an attempt to talk at least a few times a week, but it was common for him to call her and her finally return it nearly 24 hours later.

As much as she missed Klaus, she still treasured their friendship. It was one thing to have him, but to not really _have_ him. Seeing him was hard, and when they parted, it was even harder.

Tyler wasn't even on her radar anymore, his relationship with Elena Salvatore, well Gilbert now, seemingly taking off. After the night at her apartment, Caroline had finally taken the time to completely cleanse her apartment from her relationship with him. She found pictures, old mementos from their five year relationship and unceremoniously burned them with the encouragement of Katherine. Klaus told her that Rebekah and Enzo had gotten engaged a few weeks ago, and that the engagement party was next week, which he and Caroline decided to go together.

As friends.

She and Klaus had been "just friends" for the past three months. It made her sympathize with what Klaus might had felt when she was Tyler, except instead of them dating each other, they were both married to their jobs. Things were starting to slow down at work, and she finally found her groove. Klaus had mentioned things at the museum were finally settling down.

She missed him.

And she loved him, fully and completely.

"You're thinking about him aren't you?" Katherine asked, giving her a sympathetic look.

Caroline shrugged, glancing down at the ground. "That's impossible. I see him like every other week."

"Okay, so you don't miss him. But you _miss_ him," Katherine corrected.

She looked at her questioningly. "There's a difference," Katherine supplied.

Caroline sighed. "It doesn't matter. Nothing can change right now."

"Why not?"

"Because," Caroline began, "I'm ready, but I'm scared. What if I can't balance this huge work responsibility and a relationship?"

"It never stopped you before," Katherine cocked her head to the side.

She shrugged. "It's different now. I'm in charge of this whole business now. There was a reason Jenna was technically single."

"Jenna was also a bitch," Katherine cut in.

Caroline snorted, but shook her head.

"He misses you too, you know," Katherine interrupted, offering her a small smile. "Elijah says he's utterly miserable every time you leave each other."

Caroline let out a defeated sigh, knowing exactly how he feels.

"What is stopping you guys this time?" Katherine asked, being uncharacteristically serious. "Work has slowed down, you're over Tyler, neither of you have even looked at another person for the past few months."

She pursed her lips, forehead creasing in deep thought. She went through all the excuses that they had used for the past three months, not finding a viable option. Work was no longer an issue, both of them finally getting into their normal routines, and finally starting to have a decent amount of time to talk and hang out.

Tyler was so far in her rearview mirror, that he seemed like a distant memory.

And she wanted Klaus.

"Nothing," she muttered, shaking her head. "Nothing at all."

"Then go get him," the brunette egged her on. "Because, quite frankly I'm tired of the sad puppy dog eyes you have when he's mentioned-"

"I do not have sad puppy dog eyes!" Caroline shrilled.

"Bull. Shit."

Caroline glared at Katherine, the brunette brushing it off with a tilt of her mouth.

"Go get him, Care," Katherine repeated, a wicked grin forming on her lips. "Before I start coming up with inappropriate reasons that you two need to be together, such as you two need to f-"

"Okay, okay," Caroline cut in.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she looked at her phone, glowing from a text message from Klaus, asking her lunch. As cheesy as it felt, Caroline saw it as a sign.

Katherine was right.

"You're right," she mumbled, twisting her phone in her trembling fingers. "I'm going to get him."

"That's the spirit!" Katherine cheered, clapping her hands in an uncharacteristically peppy way.

"I need you to check over today's deadlines for me," Caroline ordered, the brunette nodding, almost boredly.

"Yes, yes," she waved her off lazily. "Now go see him."

Feeling a stab of anxiety in her gut, Caroline tapped out a message to Klaus, stating that she'd meet him at the museum. Gathering up her stuff with shaking hands, she called Anna, letting her know that she wouldn't be back for the day.

"How do I look?" she asked, running her hands down her flushing cheeks.

Katherine's face twisted in a proud, genuine smile. "Like you're in love."

Caroline offered her a roll of the eyes, but chuckled a little at Katherine's excited squeal.

"Knock him dead! And use a condom!"

* * *

It didn't take very long for her to make it across town to the museum. Flashing her trusty press pass at the gate, she was escorted by one of the guards to Klaus' section of the museum. Apparently, working at the museum meant that there was a list of people that were able to visit with ease once put on a visitor's list. Other than his family and Enzo, Caroline was one of his personal guests.

Sucking in a low breath, Caroline spotted his figure in the distance. Devastatingly handsome as always, he was standing in the middle of the mostly empty room. She found herself behind him, watching as he stared at a painting. She'd been in this part of the museum only a few times, but noticed that the painting he was standing under was new.

It was mostly all dark colors, a bridge painted on a night landscape. The brushstrokes were tediously painted, with streaks of yellow, dark gold, and white coming from the side, casting a bright moonlight on the bridge.

It was beautiful.

Almost as if he could sense her standing behind him, Klaus whirled around, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Hello, Caroline."

Briefly closing her eyes, she allowed his voice to wafer over her like a caress. He watched her amusedly, used to her adorable quirks.

"Nice bridge," she quipped, annoyed at the way her cheeks reddened at the smile on his face.

"Now is my work really that literal?" he teased, walking over to stand by her.

Her mouth fell open. "Wait, this is _yours_?"

He smiled bashfully, nodding. Letting out surprised exhale, Caroline walked closer to the painting to inspect it. He followed behind her, albeit a little nervously. Looking at the beautiful canvas, she was particularly drawn to the way Klaus had incorporated the light and dark themes. It was raw, full of passion, and something else that she couldn't figure out _._

"What do you think?" he asked apprehensively.

"I love it," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

His face broke out into a captivating smile, absolutely stealing her breath away.

"What inspired you?" she managed to get out, clearing her throat.

Klaus side-eyed her anxiously, licking his bottom lip as he hesitated. She turned to him, arching her brow at him questioningly. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders defeatedly.

"You."

She found herself at a loss for words again, her head spinning with his confession. Her heart nearly burst, the words spreading a warmth throughout her body that she felt all the way down to her toes.

Now she understood the other feeling that was captured in the painting.

Hope.

"Wha-What?" she stuttered, snapping her head back at the painting

Not meeting her eyes, Klaus walked back over to the painting. She followed him numbly, walking on weak legs.

"The dark implies my past, the dark part of my life," he spoke quietly, moving his talented hand across the painting as he indicated the design. "The issues with Ansel, my family."

Nodding, she bit her lips as he looked contemplatively at the canvas.

"And then I met you," his tone changed. "My little spitfire with more talent for writing in her pinky than I had in my whole body."

Blushing, she punched him in the shoulder. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

Grinning impishly, he turned to look at her, their blue eyes locking on one another's. Oxygen left her once more, and she wet her dry lips, suddenly nervous.

"I've told you before that you were the light to the dark world," he murmured, his jaw clenching nervously.

"But what I also meant was that you're _my light_ ," he confessed, his body seemingly drooping as the weight of his confession was lifted off him.

Tears filled her eyes at his words, and her throat was clogged with emotion.

"And I love you," he said, blinking furiously.

If he kept confessing anymore jaw-dropping revelations, Caroline was positive that she would have to be carried off in a stretcher.

"I-I love you too," she whispered, watching the way his eyes light up at her words.

She smiled stupidly at his expression, twiddling her fingers as she ducked her head shyly.

"I'm a right arse for letting you go," he said, twisting a finger through one of her blonde curls.

Caroline bit her lip. "I'm glad you did."

His eyes widened, and he dropped his hand from her face like it burned.

She sighed, shrugging. "As much as I didn't want to admit it, I wasn't ready for a relationship all those months ago. There was too much I needed to experience on my own, for me. This job, being single, finding myself," she continued.

Klaus watched her hesitantly, licking his bottom lip.

"I needed to learn to believe in myself," she said quietly. "I know I always act like I'm as confident as you make me out to be, but it's always been a battle for me."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're amazing, Caroline."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "I know."

Klaus laughed, his eyes sparkling.

"I'm glad we didn't dive into a relationship then," Caroline shrugged. "I never knew how much I feared ending up like Jenna, being cold, and bitter."

"You are worlds away from her," he interjected.

I know that now. I have something that she never had," Caroline said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "Something to love."

Klaus sucked in a low breath, his ears never tiring of hearing that.

"What I'm trying to say is that I love you, completely," she confessed. "I want to be with you, and I know you want me too," she finished, breathing hard.

He yanked her into his arms, melding their lips together. She gasped, forgetting how warm and soft his lips felt against hers. His kiss stole her breath, dizzying her as she pulled him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck. His lips conquered hers, sending waves of electricity down her spine. She traced the seam of his lips with her tongue, sighing happily into his mouth.

Her tongue delved into his mouth, seeking his. It languorously explored his mouth, Klaus' hands tightening on her waist as he nipped her at bottom lip. Swallowing a moan, she threaded her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He pressed one last kiss to her lips, breaking apart for air.

A silly grin bloomed on her face, a similar one creeping across his. Giggling happily at the small look of astonishment in his eyes, she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Does this mean that I get to call you my boyfriend now?" she asked.

He rubbed his nose against her cheek, nuzzling it. "As long as I get to call you my girlfriend."

"Being just friends was exhausting," she moaned, stepping back and lacing her fingers with his.

"I should have known better, love," Klaus mused, swooping in to kiss her cheek because now he finally could. "We could never be just friends."

"Never," Caroline echoed, tugging him closer.

He came with dimpled smile, his eyes sparkling in a way she'd never seen before.

"One more request," she mumbled, kissing him again.

"Hmm?" he hummed against her lips.

"Call me "love" again," she whispered.

He chuckled into her ear, the sound settling in her belly. Goosebumps rose up on her skin and she held back a smile.

"Anything you want, love."

* * *

 _Two Years Later_

Sighing softly, Caroline wrapped her fingers around the hair on Klaus' head, tugging gently at his curls. He kissed her stomach in response, tickling her with the stubble on his chin. She giggled, pulling at his hair, bringing his head to where it was level with hers.

"Morning," she mumbled, pressing a kiss to his amused pout.

He hummed a greeting, moving his lips to her jaw, trailing kisses down her neck. She sighed contentedly, moving her head to the side to allow him better access. Nibbling at her collar bone, Klaus soothed the sting with his tongue. She shifted on the bed, rolling her hips to meet his as he ground himself on her.

"Someone is happy this morning," she mused, reaching down between them to grip him through his boxers.

Grunting against the soft skin of her neck, Klaus' hips jerked as she dipped a coy hand under the band of his boxers. Tracing the tip of his erection with her fingernail, Caroline smirked at the way his hands trembled against her belly.

To distract himself from her amazing ministrations, Klaus turned his attention on to her breasts. He tugged at her tank top, kissing the top of her cleavage teasingly. Dipping his tongue between the valley of her breasts, Klaus tweaked a nipple through her shirt, drawing out a low moan from Caroline.

He pulled up her tank top, stripping her of it quickly. Almost immediately, she returned her hand back to his erection, continuing to slowly jack him off. He turned his attention from her hand back to her plump, perky breasts. Engulfing a nipple with his warm, talented mouth, Klaus teased her breasts, biting, licking, and sucking the soft skin until she was shivering with desire in his arms.

Her strokes on his cock increased, her hips continuing to roll against his. Her core throbbed with desire, each delicious ministration he was doing to her chest sending blood rushing down to the apex of her thighs. Each nerve in her body was sensitive to the touch, his lips burning against her skin in the most pleasurable way.

"I need you," she moaned, her hands grappling for his boxers.

Klaus reached for her sleep shorts, nearly tearing them away from her. He bit back a moan, noticing her lack of underwear under her shorts.

"You little minx," he mumbled against her skin, his voice low and rumbling.

With a quick yank, Caroline managed to get Klaus's boxers down to his thighs. She parted her legs, wrapping them around his waist as he plunged into her. He muffled her mouth with his lips, swirling his tongue around hers. Her hips met his, rocking against them gently as he buried himself to the hilt.

He fit inside her perfectly, filling her up to where she felt complete in every single way. Each thrust of his was like a rocket to the tension in her lower belly, dragging her in deeper and deeper. He continued to pump into her slowly, almost lazily. Content to let her orgasm drag out, Caroline sucked in a low breath when he hit a particularly sensitive spot inside her.

This was bliss.

She got to wake up every morning in the arms of the sexiest man alive, be tenderly ravished by him nearly every day, and go to bed the happiest girl in the world. Being with Klaus was like being on vacation. It was fun, exciting, something new to discover almost every day.

Caroline never felt as complete as she did with him, like she'd never get tired of the way that he could set her skin on fire with a brush of his lips. The way her heart flips whenever he sends her that slow, lazy grin of his made her want to do whatever she could to get him to do it again.

He brushed a kiss across her cheek, thrusting particularly harder into her. She gasped, gripping his shoulders as his pace quickened. Repositioning her leg, Klaus leant against his shoulder which allowed him to thrust into her deeper.

She let out a strangled moan, rocking her hips to meet his as she felt her climax near. Each pump tightened the tension in her lower belly, all the nerve endings coiling tighter and tighter. Sensing her impending release, Klaus reached down between them and flicked a thumbnail over her clit, sending her screaming over the edge.

Her walls fluttered around his cock, clenching so tightly that his own release was triggered. His hips jerked out of rhythm, spilling into her. Their hips continued to lazily roll against each others, riding out all the pleasurable shocks of their orgasms.

Klaus dropped next to her on the bed, pulling her over to where she was lying comfortable, curled into his side.

"Love you," she yawned, snuggling under her arm.

Klaus chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you too."

"Did you get the paper yet this morning?"

It was Saturday, one of the days that both of them made sure that they took off. With both of them being their own bosses, they tried to make sure that their weekends were spent together, not off at work when it could easily be handled by someone else for a day or two.

"I did," he replied, reaching over and grabbing it off the bedside table. "Very interesting story on page 7."

She grinned, ripping it from him as she opened it up to the page mentioned.

"That's a good picture of us, don't you think?"

"Well, sweetheart, after the three hour long session with Katerina, I think that one is one of the best," Klaus sighed, playfully tapping at the picture.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled brilliantly at the picture. It was a standard engagement picture, Caroline and Klaus both wrapped in each other's arms, smiling at the camera with her ring on display.

But it was the little things that Caroline saw that made her love it so much. The way her smile was a little too bright because he couldn't stop tickling her when Katherine was taking the picture, or how Klaus' eyes were a little too wide because she was swearing off sex if he continued to tease her about the picture pose.

It was a little crazy, a whole lot of silly, and nowhere near perfect.

But it was perfect to her.

"Davina wrote a good announcement," Caroline said, scanning over the article. "I made Kat read over it and edit it for me. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I like it," Klaus said quietly, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Me too," she murmured, smiling fondly at the article.

"What time do we have to be at _Donovan's_ tonight for the party?"

Caroline put the paper next to her, reminding herself to cut out the article later to keep. "Well, since Kat and Elijah are hosting, I guess not until it starts."

"They didn't give a time?"

"Nope."

"It's our bloody engagement party!"

Caroline laughed, kissing his grumpy pout. "I know, but she's been so scatterbrained lately. I had to remind her four times to not to forget the reserve the party lounge with Matt. I'll call Elijah later to confirm with him."

"Sounds like Bekah when she was pregnant with Sophie," Klaus remarked thoughtfully, running his fingers through her hair. "It got worse until after she had her."

Caroline shivered. "Don't remind me. I still have the mental scars of Enzo showing the birth pictures."

Both of them made faces, reminiscing on the past few years. After Enzo and Rebekah were married, they found themselves expecting not long after. Little Sophie Augustine was the apple of her father's eye, and fiercely guarded by all of her overprotective uncles. Katherine and Elijah were married about three months ago, after spending about a year and a half being engaged. Neither of them were in a rush to get married, but with a little nudging on Caroline's part, and a lot of nagging by Esther, they were happily basking in wedded bliss.

Klaus and Caroline had been together for two years, moving into her apartment about three months into their relationship. Klaus struck up somewhat decent relationship with Esther and Mikael. They were civil around one another, mostly for a pregnant Rebekah's sake. Klaus still refused to call them by their parental names, and he and Mikael never directly spoke to one another, but they did seem to have an understanding.

"Can you imagine Kat with a kid?"

Klaus chuckled. "I think it's easier to see my 18 year old brother with a child."

"I miss Henrik," Caroline sighed. "NYU is too far away."

"I agree," Klaus said. "At least Kol managed to calm down."

Caroline giggled. "I think it might have something to do with his new "bewitching" secretary, as he puts it."

He rolled his eyes. "He's such a cad."

"So were you!" Caroline teased, rolling on top of him.

"Only because I couldn't have you."

"I think I just strained my eyeball from rolling it so hard," Caroline scoffed playfully.

Klaus tickled her sides, her melodic laugh spreading warmth throughout her body.

"I love you," he whispered, brushing his lips across hers.

"I love you too," she murmured.

He grinned, bumping his nose with hers.

"It's a good thing you were kind of a douche when we met," she mumbled against his lips.

"Hmm?"

"I never would have gotten all those free coffees from you all those years ago," she teased. "Plus, it was totally therapeutic to yell at you sometimes."

He arched a his brow at her. "And now I can have you screaming at me in a different way," he answered, lowing his tone.

She sucked in a low breath, humming delightfully at the way he trailed his fingers down her body.

No matter what happened from then, and in 50 years later, Caroline knew that she had finally met her match in him. No one made her laugh harder, smile brighter, yell louder, or love more. He looked at her like she was the sun, and made sure that she knew how much he loved her every day. Who knew her forever was in front of her the whole time, with his teasing innuendos and wiping hot tea off his trousers with an sexy, irresistible smirk?

Whatever life threw at them next, both Klaus and Caroline were ready to face it.

Together.

* * *

 **Anybody notice the little Glee line I snuck in last chapter? Loved using an old OTP line with my current one ;) Thoughts? Thanks for sticking with me through the end! I don't know what the future holds for me with writing outside one shots, and drabbles, but thank you all for reading and reviewing this!**

 **Until Next Time**

 **Kaitlyn**


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